Progresif Cellularhttps://progresif.com
Mon, 19 Mar 2018 06:55:11 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Job Listing: Internal Audit Officerhttps://progresif.com/job-listing-internal-audit-officer/
Mon, 19 Mar 2018 06:54:23 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=3294To assist the Head of Internal Audit and/or Internal Audit Specialist in executing the audit plan, and take a lead role in the day to day execution of internal audits activities. Job Description: Lead or assist in the execution of … Continue reading →

]]>To assist the Head of Internal Audit and/or Internal Audit Specialist in executing the audit plan, and take a lead role in the day to day execution of internal audits activities.

Job Description:

Lead or assist in the execution of audit engagements as per the audit plan or any ad hoc audit, under the supervision of the Head of Internal Audit and/or the Internal Audit Specialist.

Contribute to the Internal Audit function by identifying areas of potential risk and control exposure in order to approve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.

Provide value-added advice and support to business partners on the development of policies, procedures and processes to ensure an appropriate level of internal control and compliance is maintained.

Maintain an understanding and ensure adherence to the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, the International Professional Practice Framework (IPPF), the IIA Code of Ethics and the Internal Audit Division’s Procedure Manual when performing internal audit engagements.

Maintain an understanding to industry specific knowledge appropriate to the audit engagements.

Requirement:

Knowledge and Experience

Degree holder in Accounting and Finance or related disciplines.

A minimum 1-year audit experience, preferably gained from a sizable company or audit firms.

Working knowledge of professional IIA Standards.

Well-developed technical skills in Word and Excel.

Skills and Attributes

Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively (both written and verbal) with all levels within the organization.

Well-developed organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple assignments.

Strong analytical capability; and make conclusions and recommend solutions.

Capable of working independently and with minimum supervision.

Logical approach to identifying and evaluating issues and problem solving.

Displays awareness of the need for confidentiality in sensitive matters.

Just to let you know, we get a whole lot of applicants. If we’re unable to contact you
That doesn’t mean that your not Progresif. You could always try again the next time
Around or even give us a call at 222 1010.

]]>Tasbee Stingless Beeshttps://progresif.com/tasbee-stingless-bees/
Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:20:54 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=3086Along the old Tutong Road, in Kg Sg Kelugos, is a stingless bee farm that is frequently visited so much that its owner, Hj Mitasby Hj Mamit, has become an authority on the matter. When Hj Mitasby set up the … Continue reading →

]]>Along the old Tutong Road, in Kg Sg Kelugos, is a stingless bee farm that is frequently visited so much that its owner, Hj Mitasby Hj Mamit, has become an authority on the matter.

When Hj Mitasby set up the Tasbee Meliponiculture Farm in 2009 (meliponiculture means commercial stingless beekeeping), he knew very little about beekeeping. His fascination for bees started when he was in the army which involved spending a lot of time in the jungle. That was when he first encountered stingless bees in all kinds of sizes.

“My elders used to tell me that lebah kelulut (Malay for stingless bees) honey has health benefits. Some variety of bees produce more honey than others and all of them produces honey that tastes different,” says the now-retired army personnel.

Educating about stingless bees

Mitasby is on a mission. He’s not just beekeeping for the sake of business. He knows that bees play an important role in the natural ecosystem so he makes sure that visitors walk away being more informed about bees.

The farm gets visits from school children, tourists and people who are close to retirement. Many visitors come to learn how to keep bees. He teaches them how to sustainably collect honey and make honey derivative products. For free.

Mitasby insists that it’s his way of encouraging people to appreciate stingless bees as an animal species and not just for their honey.

“People used to cover the nests or spray them to get rid of the stingless bees. Hunters who were after the honey would throw away the eggs.

There was no knowledge on how to farm kelulut and help care for the colony. But now people know their benefits, they know to leave the hives alone,” he says.

Building sanctuaries

His farm now has over 100 nests which are all weaved in between well-spaced trees and flower plants. Mitasby has managed to provide sanctuary to 18 of the 22 species of stingless bees including rare species which have been officially recognised by the Forestry Department.

Mitasby says that bee farming is now a full-time gig for him, but he is most comfortable playing the role of an educator. The latest addition to the farm is a mini gallery, which he built in May 2017. There are posters on stingless bee species in Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as information on their lifecycle. This setup is perfect for curious travellers or students that want to learn more about stingless bees.

Sustainable bee products for sale

In another corner, there’s a wide variety of products for sale: small jars of honey, honey-based soap, beeswax candles and propolis (a mixture of plant sap and bee secretions with health benefits).

Mitasby’s role becomes more important at a time when bees face the threat of being wiped out due to increasing rates of colony collapse disorder, which happens when bees leave their hives in large numbers or are unable to organise themselves to survive.

What started out as a simple curiosity for Mitasby has now transformed into a deep sense of care and stewardship. And that’s great news! At least we know that the bees aren’t flying solo with people like Mitasby around.

Subscribe to our blog for more inspiring stories of progressive people in Brunei. Just fill in the form below. If you love this story, don’t forget to share it on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

]]>Wanna help your school win thousands of dollars – and win cash and vocal lessons for yourself while you’re at it? Awesome, read on.

As you know, at Progresif we’re big on Education, Arts & Culture, Entrepreneurship and the Environment.

This is our way of doing our part to support the schools and teachers who have been shaping you – the young minds of the future, which is why we’re giving away B$10,000 in cash and prizes for you and your school to do what you need with it.

THE PROGRESIF RADIO
OPEN MIC: SCHOOL EDITION

Open to students of all schools in Brunei Darussalam (Year 1 to Year 13)

How Do I Join?

Download the Progresif Radio App on your smartphone

Use the ‘Open Mic’ feature on the Progresif Radio App to record your audio clip

Record yourself – tell us your name, school and class then sing a song of your choice

After you’ve finished recording, send the audio clip together with your phone number

]]>How Creativate Does Educationhttps://progresif.com/how-creativate-does-education/
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 03:29:21 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2898Most of us know when we see creativity but how do you teach a concept that is inherently abstract? And how do you translate an abstract concept so that kids are able to understand and apply it in their lives? … Continue reading →

]]>Most of us know when we see creativity but how do you teach a concept that is inherently abstract? And how do you translate an abstract concept so that kids are able to understand and apply it in their lives?

Local education startup, Creativate, takes on a different approach when it comes to learning for kids. If you were to walk into a classroom, you’d immediately notice the freedom that kids are given in the learning environment.

The kids are free to roam, climb walls and take breaks whenever they feel inclined to. Of course, it’s not just all play. The young children are taught to read, craft and write in hour-long sessions which look more like play dates than a skills development class.

Creativate started in November 2016 and is run by an all-female trio: Nazurah Hamizah Hj Md Salleh, Dk Nurul Khairunissa Pg Hj Mohd Roslin (or Chai) and Siti Nur Nadzirah Suhaimi, all of whom met each other in 2014 during the Brunei-U.S English Language Enrichment programme for ASEAN.

They then spent another 10 months together in Laos. That’s when they realised that kids learnt best when they’re enjoying themselves-singing, dancing and moving around a lot.

“The creative programmes are all about developing interpersonal skills like teamwork and expression which, in turn, helps build their own self-confidence,” says Nazurah.

There’s nothing wrong with textbook-style methods but teaching becomes a different challenge when kids are in the equation. So Creativate had to explore new ways of teaching that would also help kids meet learning outcomes.

Learning by Themes

Instead of learning traditionally by subject, Creativate picks a topic that kids are interested in and then explore around the topic in different ways. Chai explains, “On the first month experimenting with thematic learning, we chose to study the universe. Kids are fascinated by stars, space, and galaxies. Next month’s theme will be about dinosaurs,” she says.

Stimulating Curiosity

The kids are encouraged to be curious about the world and the team stimulates this curiosity in many ways.

“We once showed them a video about space within the human body and beyond the planet. The kids were instantly mesmerised and surprised at how tiny humans are in the bigger scheme of things,” Nazurah says.

It got the kids talking and got even more curious about their own environment and the world that they live in.

Practicing Social Interaction

There is no curriculum to follow and walk-ins are available for each session. This means that kids may have different classmates every time. Creativate sees this as an opportunity for the kids to practice interaction. At the same time, the team ensures that the atmosphere is supportive and congenial, and that everyone had a common goal to solve.

Self-Paced Learning

In their freestyle reading programme, kids have complete autonomy over what to read, how they read it and what to discuss. “It’s not that kids don’t like reading, or they don’t know how to read per se. It’s just that there’s a fear of getting something wrong,” says Nadzirah.
Instead of being in an environment where kids are pressured to at the same level, they are encouraged to read at their own comfortable pace.

Creativate applies these principles to themselves, too. By learning through trial and error, the company made a bold move to thematic learning.

“We can’t be scared to introduce something new or being different. Change is always required of us as individuals, business owners, and a company”, says Nadzirah. “We can’t be afraid of taking risks”.

Want to hear more inspiring stories from the local community? Subscribe to our blog with your name and email below. If you love this story, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family!

]]>Choose Your Rewardshttps://progresif.com/choose-your-rewards/
https://progresif.com/choose-your-rewards/#respondFri, 08 Dec 2017 03:45:28 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2665If you’re using Progresif Prepaid, you’ll be happy to know that from December 8th to 17th 2017, every time you top up $15 or more, you get to keep 100% of your TopUp and also choose one FREE Add-On as … Continue reading →

]]>If you’re using Progresif Prepaid, you’ll be happy to know that from December 8th to 17th 2017, every time you top up $15 or more, you get to keep 100% of your TopUp and also choose one FREE Add-On as a free reward

24 HOURS FREE YOUTUBE

7 DAYS FREE FACEBOOK

7 DAYS FREE INSTAGRAM

How to claim your reward

]]>https://progresif.com/choose-your-rewards/feed/0The Progress of Radiohttps://progresif.com/the-progress-of-radio/
https://progresif.com/the-progress-of-radio/#respondSun, 26 Nov 2017 17:55:38 +0000http://progresif.com/?p=2413There is always a reason to celebrate the first of anything and Brunei welcomed radio in this fashion. Local radio broadcasting was officiated in Brunei in the late 1950s with a holiday message from Al-Marhum Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul … Continue reading →

]]>There is always a reason to celebrate the first of anything and Brunei welcomed radio in this fashion. Local radio broadcasting was officiated in Brunei in the late 1950s with a holiday message from Al-Marhum Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, during the Eid Al Fitr festivities.

The first words on radio in Brunei was on May 2, 1957, uttered by Brunei’s first radio announcer, Dayangku Intan PDP Pg Hj Apong who gleefully exclaimed “Inilah Radio Brunei” (this is Radio Brunei).

The technology was such that it could only be heard by those living in a five kilometre radius of Bukit Salilah, where the transmitter was. But it was a turning point for communications because it meant that messages could be transmitted to large audiences quickly.

From there, broadcast radio continued to grow in terms of programming and language, including English, Dusun and Iban. It even went on to include stations from overseas such as the London-based Capital FM, Radio Australia and Radio Malaya.

It was through these early channels that Bruneians first heard of Malay entertainment icon Teuku Zakaria Teuku Nyak Puteh, otherwise known as P. Ramlee, and English rock legends The Beatles, both of whom many modern Brunei musicians see as influential to their sound.

Local bands were also highly active in both the radio and entertainment scene. In 1963, the first ‘Bintang Radio’ (Radio Star) competition was organised for the fans of traditional Malay Keroncong (folk music) to the step dancing of Zapin.

At the same time, there were bands from the 1960s era such as Rayuan Irama (loosely translated as rhythm appeal) and Melati Puteh (white jasmine), who paved the way for modern Brunei band music.

In the late 90s, bands like Eda Brig, H8, Mic Bandits and WLK started to surface with live performances to crowds. Local rock ‘n’ roll band Hurricane Honey (formerly known as IMTS. You can read more about them in our band interviews on pages 26 – 29) is no stranger to radio with some songs debuting on public radio in 2006.

Even as music has evolved, radio remains the best channel to reach a large audience especially when bands want to let everyone know that they’ve got something new. “We wanted to get more private gigs so we thought that radio was the best platform to promote our music at the time,” said Hurricane Honey frontman Nol Kamaruddin.

Local groove metal band WLK has also made airwaves with their 2007 single ‘The Virus’ which is still played on radio even now.
Meanwhile, veteran alternative rock group Eda Brig has managed radio plays for three songs I Don’t Care, Crimson Skies and King & Queen, all from their self-titled 2011 LP.

The band’s frontman Alif said that radio has provided an avenue for bands to introduce their latest songs to the public.
“Radio has helped aspiring musicians showcase their talents. In our case, we’ve been invited for interviews and performances on radio a few times which has been great for the band’s exposure,” he said.

WLK, said that radio introduced variety into local music and helped widen the scope of music in Brunei. Band bassist Dinny Gapar said that Bruneians are getting better at music production and can create a product that matches studio production quality overseas. “It’s good to hear originals (songs) from bands and that gives a sense of how music has developed from just bands doing song covers,” he said.

Brunei’s own state broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB), has been instrumental in building the foundations of radio from its early days. RTB runs five radio networks: Nasional, Harmoni, Pelangi, Pilihan and Nur Islam, all of which feature a wide variety of radio content from mainstream music to religious programmes (one of them also carries a Nepalese radio programme that runs for a few hours specifically for the Gurkhas in Brunei!).

Progresif Radio is the latest evolution of radio to come out of Brunei- it is the first application based internet streaming radio in the country.

Today, the boundaries of radio continue to be pushed, each time breaking new ground in terms of content and technology. Just like any other technology, radio needs to evolve to navigate the changing world.

Progresif Radio is the latest evolution of radio to come out of Brunei- it is the first application based internet streaming radio in the country. Listeners will get to experience the future of radio and music in Brunei with unlimited possibilities. In the true spirit of innovation, Progresif Radio features fresh content live streaming through the app.

Progresif Radio also ties in perfectly with our ongoing support for the creative industry in Brunei, by having content on demand and live radio, the app becomes a platform where local musicians can perform to an audience on-air or through pre-recorded shows. This means that you can listen to your favourite local artists any time you want!

At Progresif, we’ve always believed in new ideas and Progresif Radio reflects this belief. We’re glad to bring you our latest innovation.

Progresif Radio is now available for download on both iOS and Android plaforms so check it out!

For more links on the story of radio in Brunei visit:
http://bruneiresources.blogspot.com
http://www.rtb.gov.bn

From November 23rd to 30th 2017, December 23rd to 31st 2017 and January 24th to 31st 2018, when you use your Standard Chartered Bank Credit Card at any Progresif store, you can earn Double Reward points, which can be converted into things like food vouchers, miles with Royal Skies, shopping vouchers and more.

Monthly Lucky Draw

From November 23rd to 30th 2017, December 23rd to 31st 2017 and January 24th to 31st 2018, every time you spend BND$50 using your Standard Chartered Credit or Debit Card at any Progresif store for any type of payment (like bills, TopUp or handsets), you can stand a chance to win prizes in monthly lucky draws.

The Lucky Draw Prizes are as follows:

Winner

November 2017 Prizes

December 2017 Prizes

January 2018 Prizes

Top

Huawei P7 Prime

Oppo A77

Huawei Y7 Prime

Consolation (x10)

BND$30 off the next bill for Postpaid customer

or

BND$30 credited to account for Prepaid customer

0% EasyPay Instalment Plan

From November 23rd 2017 to January 31st 2018, when you use your Standard Chartered Credit Card to shop at any Progresif store, you can convert your purchase into a 0% EasyPay Instalment Plan:

Months

One-time SCB fee

Purchase Amount

6

Free

$300 to $30,000

12

1% – exclusive for Progresif

$300 to $30,000

18 or 24

3%

$300 to $30,000

Simply call Standard Chartered at 265-8000 within 30 days to convert to the 0% EasyPay Instalment Plan.

]]>https://progresif.com/standard-chartered-promotion/feed/0Tech Trends Musically Mobilehttps://progresif.com/tech-trends-musically-mobile/
https://progresif.com/tech-trends-musically-mobile/#respondThu, 16 Nov 2017 09:13:06 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2578If you’ve ever been involved in music production then you would know how much work is required to get a final product that is of studio quality. A standard recording studio is a feat of architecture. To achieve studio sounds, … Continue reading →

]]>If you’ve ever been involved in music production then you would know how much work is required to get a final product that is of studio quality.

A standard recording studio is a feat of architecture. To achieve studio sounds, you must ensure that the room has next to no echo (otherwise called a dead room) so that the sounds do not bounce around the room and affect the recording.

Then, there’s the task of getting professional studio gear such as condenser microphones, mixers, amplifiers and, of course, studio engineers. The good thing is that music technology has progressed tremendously over the years so much so that recording can happen on a smartphone.

With a spark of creativity, anyone can learn, produce and share music using the mobile applications available. Just as you could make short films on the smartphone, sketch or code, you could also create an entire song using your smartphone as a ‘studio’.

Just ask Steve Lacy, the 18-year-old hip-hop producer who made his smartphone his personal studio since he started creating music. It might not be the most conventional studio setup, but Lacy is a Grammy award nominee for his work as an executive producer – some of which was done on his smartphone!

One of the biggest game changers in music production is digital software. Digital audio workstation (DAW) applications like Apple’s Logic Pro and Avid Pro Tools, have enabled musicians to write, record and produce their songs to studio quality standards.

Garageband App

For mobile, music making apps like Garageband (available on iOS) allows anyone to start making their own songs using only their smartphones or tablets. There are countless other apps available for multitrack editing on the phone, such as Stagelight, Music Maker JAM and Loopy.

Additional equipment like microphones and audio-interface tools, which connect an instrument to the phone or tablet, are also affordable and user friendly. IK Multimedia is one popular brand that makes affordable audio equipment and accessories exclusively for home or mobile music production.

As soon as musicians are done with a song, they can upload their work on digital streaming services such as Soundcloud, Spotify or even Youtube, and reach targeted or wider audiences with the click of a button.

It’s worth noting that the way we consume music has changed which is why music production is now so easy. We are more likely to stream music online than to buy a whole album. With this new medium, independent artists can gain a strong following online and get discovered by major distributors in the process.

To get discovered, the social aspect of music is equally as important as the creative process. Apps like musical.ly and Smule are outlets for musicians, singers and creative individuals to share their talents to millions around the world. And because of how connected social media is, there are stories of artists that have found success after labels found their music performances on Youtube or Smule.
Of course, conventional methods of music production and distribution will still be around for the time being but we also think that having new technology enriches the production experience and maximises efficiency.

With the availability of easy-to-use music creation tools and the power of social media, there isn’t much to hinder underground or bedroom musicians to make it big.

Visit these websites for more information on the latest in music technology:

]]>https://progresif.com/tech-trends-musically-mobile/feed/0Progresif Hero: Yazid Damithttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-yazid-damit/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-yazid-damit/#respondThu, 16 Nov 2017 07:52:26 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2571As an activist of traditional music, Hj Mohd Yazid Hg Awang Damit is among the few who organises workshops and trains groups of young people in traditional music. He believes more can be done to develop the scene, and is … Continue reading →

]]>As an activist of traditional music, Hj Mohd Yazid Hg Awang Damit is among the few who organises workshops and trains groups of young people in traditional music.

He believes more can be done to develop the scene, and is in the process of creating a means that can make traditional music more accessible and interesting to youths. By day, Yazid is a technician at Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB).

Professionally, you’re a lab tech, yet you spend time composing, arranging, producing and coaching traditional music. How did that come about?

I love traditional music very much and it’s my passion. I was born into an artistic family, inheriting the talent from my late father who was a Gambus player. So I think it’s my responsibility to give knowledge about traditional music to youngsters.

Was your father the one who taught you music?

I was taught first by my father but my eldest brother, Hj Mohd Abdoh Bin Hj Awang Damit, also taught me a lot later. He’s one of Brunei’s finest traditional composer, arranger and educator.

What was the first instrument he taught you?

I think it was the Gong (a circular disc usually made of bronze). I remember it happened at a wedding function. My brother told me to just hit the gong and I did. That somehow set off an exploration into traditional music which I’m still doing right now, and still loving it!

When did you start teaching?

I started teaching traditional music in 2009, when I was still 16 years old and studying in Sixth Form. My classmates were my first students and it grew from there. When I was coaching at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Secondary, the school team won the annual Inter-School Gulingtangan Competition four years in a row.
I consider that to be my biggest personal achievement to date. After that, I decided to teach music independently with a focus towards youth.

I think that there are not many teachers in the field of traditional music so I made a step forward to teach at a young age. And I’m still doing that at 30 years old.

Related

You’ve been teaching for half your life! What have you found out about yourself personally since you started teaching music?

I’ve found that learning is a very important process in life because you grow as a person and find ways to help you process things.

Does the idea of making the world a better place play a role in your life?

Yes, musically speaking. Music is something everyone understands. We all have these different languages; Mandarin, Cantonese, English, French…But I think music can unite people and make the world a better place.
I hope I can do this through traditional music!

I do a lot of sampling. Talking to one of, I would say, my protégé, who is a computer student, we had the idea of developing an app specifically for traditional music. It’s still under development. We’re calling it ‘Gulingtangan Kitani’. The app will help you to learn more about traditional music.

We’re currently looking for coordination expertise because of how big the project is. The aim of the app is to generate interest from youngsters to play traditional music.

If you’d like to get in touch or check out Yazid’s traditional music samples, check out his Instagram @brutradmusic

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-yazid-damit/feed/0Progresif Heroes: Remi Sallehhttps://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-remi-salleh/
https://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-remi-salleh/#respondThu, 16 Nov 2017 04:10:52 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2570Brunei’s performing arts scene in school is growing rapidly with competitions in choir, drama and traditional music happening on a regular basis. Although most of the secondary schools in Brunei teach performing arts as an extracurricular activity, many students are … Continue reading →

]]>Brunei’s performing arts scene in school is growing rapidly with competitions in choir, drama and traditional music happening on a regular basis. Although most of the secondary schools in Brunei teach performing arts as an extracurricular activity, many students are taking their passion for it to another level.

Pg Remi makes music at Misha Studios (Melabau Complex, Kg Serusop). You can contact the studio by emailing him at bravoechoalpharomeo@yahoo.com or follow his Instagram @mr.bear.and.his.ukelele

We’re happy to hear from Pg Hj Md Shahremi (Remi) Pg Md Salleh who teaches music and drama in his role as the Performing Arts Coordinator at Sayyidina Husain Secondary School in Jerudong. He has been instrumental figure in bringing the performing to the school.

Hello Cikgu Remi! You started music classes at Sayyidina Husain. Well done!

I’m proud to say that we are the first local secondary school that teaches music as part of our curriculum.

How did that come about?

We wanted to make music education accessible to local students because we do know that learning music can be expensive. My former principals, Cikgu Zarina Hj Khadir and Cikgu Hajidah Hj Abd Wahab, an officer in the Department of Co-Curricular Education (JPKK) at the Ministry of Education, both agreed to the idea of making music learning accessible for students. Music has been proven to assist our ability to learn. When a student is learning music, they’re having fun. Basically, my classroom is like a therapy session every day. We sing and make noise. We play board games as well.

How does board games relate to music?

I have a board game called ‘Simon A’ which is a musical take on the famous game ‘Simon Says’ but in music format where they try to remember the patterns. There’s lots of humming as the students try to recall the notes.

If you want something to happen, you make it happen. That, to me, is being progressive.

Related

That’s part of the teaching technique?

My line of music education uses the Kodály method, an approach to music education pioneered in the 20th century by Hungarian composer and linguist Zoltan Kodály. First, we teach students to recognise sounds, counts and patterns. We also employ hand signs, where every sign or pattern has its own sound. I think it’s best to train your ear and identify sounds first because that’s an important aspect in music education.

You coordinate performance programmes, teach music, train to teach music, and you also do things for other schools. Tell us more about that.
Occasionally, JPKK will request assistance in training which could be for new choir teachers or judging in competitions; and I’m thankful for all these opportunities. It has built my repertoire from being just a teacher to being a composer, judge and trainer as well.

Who are your biggest inspirations when it comes to teaching music?

The first being my late father, Pg Hj Mohd Salleh Pg Hj Chuchu, who was supportive of me and always told me to follow my dreams. Another inspiration is my studio partner, Suhaimi Abdul Rahman, of Misha Studios. We’ve been working together for a long time and he was the one who suggested to me that it’s time for public schools to have music. Then there’s my former principal, Cikgu Zarina, who suggested for music in our school. Because of her, I took it upon myself to get certified as a music teacher.
The final inspiration is Cikgu Hajidah, from JPKK, who gave me the opportunities to train others, become a music judge, go on exchange programmes and learn other kinds of music. She also helped me to become fond of teaching music.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-remi-salleh/feed/0Music Talent or Traininghttps://progresif.com/music-talent-or-training/
https://progresif.com/music-talent-or-training/#respondWed, 15 Nov 2017 03:25:15 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2564When you watch musicians perform, it can seem like they were born with the knowledge of knowing which notes to play while having perfect timing. But if you speak to music teachers, the real story behind a sublime performance boils … Continue reading →

]]>When you watch musicians perform, it can seem like they were born with the knowledge of knowing which notes to play while having perfect timing. But if you speak to music teachers, the real story behind a sublime performance boils down to one thing: practice.

Just ask Lily Chiam, accomplished musician and owner of Expression Music Academy. She’s spent years either competing or training others to compete. “Competing means you need to go out and perform a piece of two to three minutes, all by memory, and deliver it so well. To achieve that, you really must put in the hours,” she said.

Playing music has been proven not only to help our brains function better but also improve social skills and enhance therapy.

Studies have shown that playing musical instruments help hone fine motor skills – which is controlled by a section of your brain called the cerebellum. If you’re watching a guitarist perform, you’re watching the results of hours of practice just so that he can place his fingers on the right place and strum them at the right time; tasks which require specific movements of the fingers. Playing music has been proven not only to help our brains function better but also improve social skills and enhance therapy.

When a musician plays in a group, he must work together with other musicians to create harmonies, and that requires a lot of cooperation and understanding. If you’ve ever seen an improvised music session, musicians tend to ‘feel’ their way into a song and then magically gel together after a few minutes or even from the get go!

In the medical world, doctors have prescribed music therapy for patients with heart conditions, depression, Alzheimers, to help overcome their ailments.

Suffering from a stammer?
Try playing music while reading out a speech.

Music makes a playground out of our brains, lighting up different parts and connecting dots like few others can. In Brunei, parents are now sending their kids for music classes to reap the brain juice benefits of music. On the other hand, music schools are bumping their courses by offering more variety in lessons and instruments.

Although music is not formally part of the national education curriculum, students in public schools still get opportunities to learn music. Primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary educational institutions offer music, or related subjects, as part of their co-curricular education (you can read more about this on pages 36-43).

Related

One important aspect of music that teachers recognise is its ability to motivate students to achieve their goals. When a person completely focuses on learning how to play a musical piece, he or she has successfully learned the importance of commitment and planning to achieve their desired objectives. When a musician prepares for a performance, they learn the value of poise and composure in front of an audience.

Sharon Jusay, who runs NeoClassic Music School, said that part of learning music is learning the art of performances. “It’s a great way to develop courage and improve your confidence. On top of that, it is also an exercise in learning to focus and makes for a brain booster activity for people of all ages,” she said.

Chris Tomas, manager of CVT Harmony Music School, sees music as a useful tool to help young people express themselves. “They learn to delay gratification, listen, cooperate and to be sensitive to their environment. By playing and writing music, they learn to express and manage their emotions better,” he said.

There’s no perfect time to start learning music but music teachers have recommended that earlier is better. According to Lily, the golden age starts at 2.5 years to five years old, when kids can get perfect pitch and a good sense of rhythm.

They learn to delay gratification, listen, cooperate and to be sensitive to their environment. By playing and writing music, they learn to express and manage their emotions better

So is music something that can be trained? Or is it the exclusive domain of those born with musically inclined abilities? The wisdom of teachers we spoke to tells us that its mostly about training. And while it’s true that there are some that are born with natural talents, it is the practice and training that make musicians great.

Music Schools

Expression Music Academy

Expression Music has been active in the Bruneian music scene since 1996. It offers graded music lessons for classical and modern musical instruments. They have special, or fast track, programmes for toddlers. They also have a presence in Singapore and the Philippines.

NeoClassic Music School

Founded in 2005, NeoClassic offers graded music lessons for most classical and modern musical instruments, and even Music Theory, Theatre and Ensembles from Preparatory to Diploma Level. On top of that they have special programmes for Kids and other music enthusiasts of all ages. The school is in a popular residential area of Jalan Gadong. Come in as an individual, or a group, and pursue music at your leisure or as a full-time student.

]]>https://progresif.com/music-talent-or-training/feed/0The Island Orchestrahttps://progresif.com/the-island-orchestra/
Mon, 06 Nov 2017 02:08:19 +0000https://progresif.com/?p=2515If there’s anything that has always been a part of human civilisation that’s not food, then it must be music Continue reading →

]]>If there’s anything that has always been a part of human civilisation that’s not food, then it must be music.

Music has been a central part of human life and you can see glaring similarities which aren’t bound by culture or time. The creation of musical instruments is also, in part, a product of humans living in their natural habitat, which makes native musical instruments an extension of their cultural origin. One thing is for sure – the natural environment has always been a source of inspiration for music in human civilisations, including the ones that we find on Borneo island.

According to oral tradition, Borneo’s traditional instruments were crafted as experiments to imitate the natural soundscape. The angklung, for example, is made from many bamboo tubes which are attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to maintain resonance and come in different sizes to achieve different octaves.

To play the angklung, the base of the frame is held in one hand while the other shakes the instrument. This results in a sound that repeats itself, much like the sounds of flowing rivers or rainfall. (try a quick search on YouTube!)

In Brunei, the instrument gulingtangan (literally ‘rolling hands’) is well known and easily identifiable with its series of small gongs that sit atop ropes which are encased in a wooden frame. The instruments work exactly like a piano except that instead of pressing on keys, you hit the gongs with wooden sticks to create melodies.

Universiti Brunei Darussalam actually made a robotic gulingtangan last year. You can check it out at www.ubd.edu.bn

The gulingtangan is an integral instrument of the gulingtangan orchestra because it creates harmonies for the entire ensemble. In other words, it needs to be played with other traditional instruments in the orchestra such as canang and the gendang labik.

The canang is a percussion instrument with three dinner-plate-sized gongs that are slightly bigger than the ones on the gulingtangan. The gongs are suspended by a rope and supported by a wooden structure. It is usually played in succession or progression and has a semi-pitch that syncs with the gulingtangan.

If the gulingtangan and the canang act like the guitar and bass then the gendang labik must be the drummer. The gendang labik is traditionally made of buffalo hide and acts as the band’s main keeper of tempo.

The instruments found in the gulingtangan ensemble are among the most common traditional instruments in Brunei so it’s not hard to find an orchestra at social events and weddings. However, musicians are finding clever ways to combine modern and traditional melodies together, which further highlights the uniqueness of every instrument.

Seri Berunai, a music group made up of students from Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) and UBD, believes that traditional instruments can offer sounds that modern instruments cannot replicated. Md ‘Afif Aslam Jasmin, a member of Seri Berunai, described the gulingtangan orchestra sound as “hauntingly enchanting”.

It’s not just meshing the different sounds together to compose a piece. There’s a lot shifting of instruments around to create a piece that sounds awe-inspiring

Of course, that’s not to say that modern instruments can’t be used to play traditional songs. But the absence of traditional instruments in a traditional song can only carry the song for so far. Before you know it, you’d be longing for the sounds of the gulingtangan because it carries a tone from way back, long before external influences started to seep in.

Musicians from Borneo and the Malay Peninsula recognise this and many bands have combined traditional and modern instruments in an unlikely ensemble. In the process, they also create new genres based on the past and present working together.

The Island Orchestra could be defined as music which sees the old in the new while getting the new breathing life back into the old, creating a musical arrangement that’s everlasting.

A quick search for ‘Gulingtangan Brunei’ on YouTube will give you many results on what Island Orchestra sounds like. Go for it!

Our broadcast studio sits in Cultivate Bistro, on the ground floor of Progresif headquarters. Patrons of the eatery can watch the DJs in action, and maybe even get invited into the booth for a chat!

Progresif Broadcast Studio

The radio booth is where all the action happens, and we know that there’s going to be lots of it. We’ve seen the richness of local creative talent and we though that it is only right that these talents should be known to all of Brunei and to the rest of the world!

The creative industry is something that we’re passionate about. By having our own radio station, we could collaborate with local musicians and creatives alive to produce content that is truly Bruneian and for everyone to listen!

The best thing about is that you can choose to listen either live streaming radio shows hosted by our DJs or switch to listening podcasts or on demand content.

If you’re listening to Progresif Radio when you’re on the road or at home, you get to hear all the action that is happening and that could mean anything- from DJs goofing around in the booth to live music sessions by talented local artists.

Or, you could drop by Cultivate Bistro and enjoy watching the DJs skillfully plying their trade or watch music performances and say hi to the artists.

Either way, you still get to enjoy great local content at any time in any place. If you’re ever in town, come over for a coffee and watch Progresif Radio in action!

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-broadcast-studio/feed/0Progresif Radio Apphttps://progresif.com/progresif-radio-app/
https://progresif.com/progresif-radio-app/#respondThu, 26 Oct 2017 17:52:34 +0000http://progresif.com/?p=2417Being Progresif, we’re always looking at new frontiers to explore. Modern advancements have adapted much of our day-to-day activities and moved them online. Where once, you waited for your favourite show to air at 8pm, platforms like Netflix and YouTube … Continue reading →

]]>Being Progresif, we’re always looking at new frontiers to explore. Modern advancements have adapted much of our day-to-day activities and moved them online. Where once, you waited for your favourite show to air at 8pm, platforms like Netflix and YouTube allow you to choose what you watch and when. Queueing at the bank can now be avoided simply by paying bills over the internet.

With the advent of music streaming apps, radio, too, is going online. In fact, it seems like – thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones – life, is going online. If we were to encapsulate the patterns of this technological paradigm shift, its defining feature would be the drive to put control in the hands of the people.Mobile phones now function like an extended limb, enabling us to do more, simply by sitting in our palm.

What’s a telecommunications provider to do but to evolve too? So we thought about our core values: How do we innovate our mobile services? How can we communicate with a greater audience? What are we passionate about?
And with that, came

Progresif Radio.

So how are we taking radio to the next level?

First, we start on the foundations. Progresif Radio, like traditional radio, features a live stream broadcast manned by a team of diverse personalities – a mix of seasoned presenters and fresh voices to connect with listeners from all walks of life.

Then, we bring in flexibility. Our On Demand library provides a wealth of options for listeners to choose from. Don’t fancy what’s playing on the live stream? Explore our range of curated playlists. Prefer listening to podcasts?

We’ve got a mix of podcasts and interviews with household names. Missed your favourite DJ live on air? That’s ok. Catch-up radio allows you to listen to their show up to 48 hours after it aired. The choice is always yours.

Next, we build it to be interactive – incorporating features that allow listeners a fuller experience. The Vote function allows listeners to choose the songs that are played on the live stream, giving them more control over what they want to hear. Meanwhile, Open Mic encourages listeners to leave us voice notes, giving the chance for their voices to be heard on the radio.

But it doesn’t, and won’t stop there. At Progresif, we are always forward-thinking, always evolving, so stay tuned to Progresif Radio to see where we’ll go next.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-radio-app/feed/0Progresif announces flexible mobile broadband planshttps://progresif.com/progresif-announces-flexible-mobile-broadband-plans/
https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-flexible-mobile-broadband-plans/#respondMon, 14 Aug 2017 05:40:29 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1427Progresif Cellular announced a new Broadband Plan designed to give customers both the flexibility and full control over their data use. Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Progresif, stated “The Progresif Broadband Plan was a result of the company listening … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular announced a new Broadband Plan designed to give customers both the flexibility and full control over their data use.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Progresif, stated “The Progresif Broadband Plan was a result of the company listening closely to customers and understanding what their needs are. The next step was to create a mobile broadband plan that would enable our customers to experience the freedom to do more.”

The new Progresif mobile Broadband Plan gives customers the convenience of a second SIM for their other devices whether it’s for their own use or for their families.

Progresif designed the plan to be simple and worry-free by giving customers the flexibility of choosing which data packs they want to add so they can control their data usage and not have any overage after reaching their data quotas.

Customers can limit how much data they want for themselves and their family members. If more data is needed, customers can add on data by purchasing any of the Progresif Data Packs from 2GB to Unlimited Data.

For as low as $20 per month, customers will get their broadband plan with a brand-new Huawei MiFi dongle that fits their needs and the needs of their whole family.

For only $90 per month, customers will get a true unlimited data experience which they can enjoy with their whole family.

Since Progresif has already paid the annual license fees, customers can start their mobile broadband experience without the yearly fees.

Customers can sign-up or upgrade by going to any of the Progresif Stores. Additional details are available through social media on Instagram @progresif_cellular, on Facebook or online at www.progresif.com

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-flexible-mobile-broadband-plans/feed/0Progresif to hold a Cultural Night in conjunction with His Majesty’s 71st Birthdayhttps://progresif.com/progresif-to-hold-a-cultural-night-in-conjunction-with-his-majestys-71st-birthday/
https://progresif.com/progresif-to-hold-a-cultural-night-in-conjunction-with-his-majestys-71st-birthday/#respondThu, 13 Jul 2017 08:06:49 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1319Progresif Cellular will be hosting its third Cultural Night at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre on Saturday at 7.30 pm, where members of the public will be treated to a night of music and multicultural performances from around the region. The … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular will be hosting its third Cultural Night at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre on Saturday at 7.30 pm, where members of the public will be treated to a night of music and multicultural performances from around the region.

The night will showcase the rich diversity of cultures in Brunei through a series of dance and song performances; from the traditional Iban welcoming dance Ngajat to performances by the Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and Filipino communities in Brunei.

The event will culminate in a final performance entitled ‘United Towards a Progresif Brunei’ which brings together all 116 performers of different nationalities and cultures together to end a night full of creativity.

Apart from the performances, there will also be fun quizzes with the audience participation to further enliven the Cultural Night. Admissions for the event will be free of charge and is open to members of the public.

As part of Progresif’s commitment to support local entrepreneurship, the company will also be partnering with local events company Big BWN Cookout to feature 20 local food vendors such as Hybrid, Ana Memento, Solazat Stall, Urbnkitchen, NZ Collections, Uncle Sams grilled chicken, Wings & Drumettes, Unicorn Drinks & 2 Hearts Kitchen and Goodies By HanaBashBash.

The event will be attended by Progresif Board Members, company management and representatives from the High Commissions and Embassies.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Progresif said “We’re proud to be able to host the Cultural Night for the second time. The event demonstrates our dedication to supporting arts and culture which is one of the four pillars for our corporate social responsibility programme. For this event, we collaborated with various communities in Brunei in a bid to explore and showcase the wealth of creative across the country.”

“We hope that members of the audience will thoroughly enjoy a night of culture together with their friends and family,” he added.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-to-hold-a-cultural-night-in-conjunction-with-his-majestys-71st-birthday/feed/0DART and Progresif announces promotion for the festive monthhttps://progresif.com/dart-and-progresif-announces-promotion-for-the-festive-month/
https://progresif.com/dart-and-progresif-announces-promotion-for-the-festive-month/#respondSun, 09 Jul 2017 08:07:05 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1402Brunei first ride booking service, DART, and Progresif Cellular has announced a new promotion for the festive month to give customers the freedom of communication and transportation. From 10th July, DART Taxi customers will get a DART Hari Raya envelope … Continue reading →

]]>Brunei first ride booking service, DART, and Progresif Cellular has announced a new promotion for the festive month to give customers the freedom of communication and transportation.

From 10th July, DART Taxi customers will get a DART Hari Raya envelope along with $10 vouchers from Progresif which can be redeemed at Progresif stores for a $10 Top Up or get $10 off on a Progresif SIM pack.

The joint promotion by Dart Logistics and Progresif is an initiative to engage Bruneians with a creative solution to transport people from one destination to another. The promotion runs for the first 200 DART bookings or until the end of the month.

Dart’s CEO and Founder, Zul ‘Amali DP H Idris said that the collaboration sets the stage for more exciting partnerships with Progresif, having joined the Progresif Startup Lab as the first company in April 2017.

We are so excited to launch this joint promotion in the joy of Hari Raya and with the spirit of giving, Dart and Progresif have teamed up in giving the opportunity for people to use our app during this festive month with ease and convenience in mind.

“Dart’s collaboration with Progresif is about emphasising the value of both companies which is connecting people effortlessly,” he said.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Progresif, said that the partnership with Dart signifies a commitment to support the growth of local startups while creating innovative solutions that benefit the local economy at the same time.

We believe that startups play a pivotal role in promoting innovation which, in turn, benefits Brunei’s economy. The promotion with Dart is just one of the many examples of local synergy which is made possible through collaborations that result in win-win situations for both parties

The DART app seeks to provide a convenient and reliable transport option for its users. In the latest phase of development, Dart has opened recruitment for DART Drivers to the public with the goal of helping local employment.

Those who are interested to become a Dart Car Driver, can go to their website at www.dartbrunei.com. The DART app is available for download for both iOS and Android platforms on the App Store and Google Play.

]]>https://progresif.com/dart-and-progresif-announces-promotion-for-the-festive-month/feed/0Progresif release the sixth issue of its quarterly magazinehttps://progresif.com/progresif-release-the-sixth-issue-of-its-quarterly-magazine/
https://progresif.com/progresif-release-the-sixth-issue-of-its-quarterly-magazine/#respondFri, 30 Jun 2017 08:52:57 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1425Progresif Cellular announced today the release of the sixth issue of their quarterly in-house magazine. This issue features an Islamic theme with articles on harnessing your true potential, and living a progressive life along with several stories about progressive people … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular announced today the release of the sixth issue of their quarterly in-house magazine. This issue features an Islamic theme with articles on harnessing your true potential, and living a progressive life along with several stories about progressive people making a difference in the community.

Progresif once again teamed up with local photographers, artists and writers including a certified psychologist who authored pieces on the ‘Unlimited Self’.

The magazine contains exclusive coverage on Progresif’s four pillars of community support featuring stories about Education, Entrepreneurship, Arts & Culture and the Environment.

At the same time, the magazine revisits global technology trends and scientific advances with articles on virtual and augmented reality, both of which are set to re-define the way we interact and communicate.

The magazine also features updates on the new Progresif headquarters, which is being shaped into a cultural and entrepreneurial hub through the StartUp Lab and community Banquet Hall which is open for rental opportunities.

Readers can also find the latest information on handsets, products and promotions like the new Unlimited and Mobile Broadband Plans.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that the magazine continues to attract positive feedback from readers who are keen on hearing about the progressive developments in Brunei.

“Brunei is filled with ambitious and passionate people who work daily to bring great ideas to life, to continuously improve their communities and to drive development in the nation. The mission of our magazine is to seek out and help promote all that is progressive about Brunei, and often beyond, in hope that we can help raise awareness, support and, most critically, inspire future generations of progressives to take action and apply their passion in ways that drive innovation and development.”

“Every issue of the magazine that we’ve done helps generate more ideas for the upcoming issues. We’re happy to say that this is the first Islamic themed issue, and we think that it’s our best issue yet,” he said.

Readers are encouraged to provide feedback through social media channels and share their thoughts on what they would like to see in future issues.

The Progresif Magazine can be found at your nearest Progresif store and will be available for download on the new company website in early July.

Each of the designs represent key elements of how the festive season is celebrated in the Sultanate, from Shauqi’s playful inspiration of his early childhood memories to Siti Kamilah’s reimaginations of ‘Kain Tenunan’ or fine woven cloths.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Progresif, stated “We’re proud to say that this is the second year we’ve collaborated with local artists to produce unique Hari Raya packets. Every partnership we forge with artists reinforces our commitment to support the development of arts and culture in Brunei.”

“We hope that such collaborations will further stimulate the local creative scene and provide an outlet for their growth which ultimately contributes to the development of the Brunei economy,” he said.

Arts and culture is one of the four pillars of Progresif’s corporate social responsibility programme which the company announced in January 2017.

In January 2017, Progresif announced its commitment to invest in the areas of arts and culture, education, environment and entrepreneurship, all of which make up the four pillars of Progresif’s corporate social responsibility programme.

To get hold of the unique Hari Raya packets, visit any of the Progresif branches.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-partners-with-local-artists-to-produce-hari-raya-packets/feed/0Progresif holds Khatam Al-Quran at headquartershttps://progresif.com/progresif-holds-khatam-al-quran-at-headquarters/
https://progresif.com/progresif-holds-khatam-al-quran-at-headquarters/#respondThu, 22 Jun 2017 08:02:08 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1400Progresif Cellular held a Khatam Al-Quran event today at the company headquarters in Gadong, to mark the last days of Ramadhan. The event is led by the Chairman of the Board of Progresif Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hisham Haji Mohd … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular held a Khatam Al-Quran event today at the company headquarters in Gadong, to mark the last days of Ramadhan.

The event is led by the Chairman of the Board of Progresif Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hisham Haji Mohd Hanifah who attended the event as the Guest of Honour.

Also taking part in the event was Mohammed Riza Dato Paduka Haji Mohammed Yunos and Edzwan Zukri Pehin Dato Adanan, board members of
Progresif.

The Khatam Al-Quran began with the recital of the Surah Al-Fatihah which was led by the Chairman, followed by other compulsory readings of the surahs. There was also a Dikir Asyraqal led by the group An-Najihun.

The event took place at the Banquet Hall on the third floor of Progresif headquarters. It was attended by about 40 Progresif staff and senior officials from the company.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-holds-khatam-al-quran-at-headquarters/feed/0UBD IMPACT 2017https://progresif.com/ubd-impact-2017/
https://progresif.com/ubd-impact-2017/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:34:46 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=479IMPACT 2017 kicked off back in April and brought together stories told through the eyes of 54 talented artists and designers all of whom present their creative work in a wide variety of themes. Some of the works are genuine … Continue reading →

]]>IMPACT 2017 kicked off back in April and brought together stories told through the eyes of 54 talented artists and designers all of whom present their creative work in a wide variety of themes. Some of the works are genuine expressions of emotions while others play with perceptions and how a single object can be viewed differently.

There is more than one way to tell a story and that has certainly been the case at University Brunei Darussalam IMPACT 2017 recent art event.

As for the event itself, IMPACT is a combination of the abbreviated words ‘important’ and ‘act’ which makes the exhibition as much about taking action to benefit society.

We had the chance to sit down and talk with some of the artists about the meaning behind their creative works.

“Kattaleya” art installation by Dk Azrin Azreena Pg Rakawi

We feel proud to be a part of this special event by UBD and look forward to working with them in future creative collaborations to promote the works of local artists. Great job to UBD for hosting the event!

You can find the interviews with the artists on our Instagram @progresif_cellular or on YouTube and typing ‘Progresif Cellular’. Happy viewing!

]]>We recently supported Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s recent participation at the Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia 2017 in Singapore where they competed with over 100 teams for the title of most energy efficient vehicle.

The competition format at SEM Asia 2017 is more about efficiency rather than speed.

As the global population grows and the demand for energy increases the need to find alternative sources of energy or improve on current energy becomes even more important.

In this year’s edition of the annual competition, a total of 123 student teams from 20 countries, all vying the top prize in three various categories based on the vehicle’s energy source.

Winning is getting the right combination of energy source, streamlined vehicle design and driving strategy. Teams will also handle their own vehicle maintenance and overall communications during the competition.

At the competition, UBD placed 10th out of 23 in the prototype battery-electric category with an efficiency of 138.8km/KWH using their very own GenNovative 35 vehicle.

They also managed to break their previous record in 2014 which makes their participation at SEM Asia 2017 a resounding success.

As part of our commitment to investing in education and the environment, we are proud to sponsor UBD’s participation in the competition for the second time.

Congratulations to UBD for breaking their previous record and for being one of the four representatives from Brunei in SEM Asia 2017. We hope to continue supporting more initiatives that promote educational and environmental causes.

]]>https://progresif.com/shell-eco-marathon-asia-2017/feed/0Hundred Beats Festivalhttps://progresif.com/hundred-beats-festival/
https://progresif.com/hundred-beats-festival/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:34:37 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=481The Hundred Beats festival began with a simple idea; to gather a group of people and play different percussion instruments together. Initially, it started with 11 musicians who came from diverse musical backgrounds. Now, the festival is becoming a mainstay … Continue reading →

]]>The Hundred Beats festival began with a simple idea; to gather a group of people and play different percussion instruments together.Initially, it started with 11 musicians who came from diverse musical backgrounds. Now, the festival is becoming a mainstay in the local music scene with an ability to draw a crowd and entertain all ages.

This year’s Hundred Beats festival took place at Jerudong Park where the performers and audience were greeted with some light rain. But that wasn’t going to stop the stage performances. Imagine three hours of performances that crisscrossed multiple genres of music from 30 performers.Then add the sounds of the traditional gendang labik, the Arab darbuka and then pair that with some afrobeats, Brazillian samba and modern drum sets and percussion.

Kamal from KaMaLoKo Entertainment Group entertaining the crowd

In a nutshell, that was exactly what the Hundred Beats festival was and it was a memorable night for many of the festival goers. We’re happy to have sponsored that event for the second time as part of our ongoing commitment to support local music talents.

A job well done to the KaMaLoKo Entertainment Group and other musicians for putting the event together. We hope to see you all next time!

Do check out the KaMaLoKo Entertainment Group on Instagram @kamaloko.ent.group to find out more information.

Haus Von Jimmy R brands itself as makers of avant-garde handmade jewellery. Azim said that his creative works are inspired by variations of local culture and arts.

The event also featured collections from other designers namely XOIA and Roz Yussof but that wasn’t all. There was some lively music entertainment by local artists which was soon followed by a dazzling display of ‘Cypress’ on local models.

his creative works are inspired by variations of local culture and arts

We support such initiatives because we consider Progresif HQ not just a space for ourselves but also a hub for the local community where people can come together and enjoy events and activities with each other.
Thanks to Azim and Haus Von Jimmy R for choosing our space to celebrate their memorable occasion!

]]>https://progresif.com/haus-von-jimmy-r/feed/0Borneo Global Issues Conferencehttps://progresif.com/borneo-global-issues-conference/
https://progresif.com/borneo-global-issues-conference/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:34:02 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=506The greatest challenge of our time is climate change and there’s no denying the fact that as global citizens we have a responsibility to take care of the Earth. And the first step to caring is generating awareness through channels … Continue reading →

]]>The greatest challenge of our time is climate change and there’s no denying the fact that as global citizens we have a responsibility to take care of the Earth. And the first step to caring is generating awareness through channels that will reach the most ears and have the best impact.

We supported the 13th Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) in March because we believe that the annual event is an important platform that raises awareness on issues surrounding urban development and sustainability.

The environment is a fragile ecosystem. If you raised the global temperature by just a few degrees it would result in melting icecaps, rising sea levels and more violent storms.

This year’s BGIC carried the theme of ‘Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns’.
The theme originates from the UN Millennium Development Goals as well as the newly launched United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the latter of which includes 17 goals to transform the world by a target date of 2030.

The sessions at BGIC simulate UN style discussions where students from host school International School Brunei (ISB) along with other schools in Borneo debate and propose resolutions to tackle some of these issues.

During these discussions, different students from various schools play the role of appointed representatives from several countries They would also merge their resolutions with delegates and lobby with representatives from other ‘countries’ to come up with the best solutions.

Students participating in the 2017 Borneo Global Issues Conference

The BGIC is also a perfect way for students to hone their public speaking skills and foster their self-confidence while expanding their understanding on global citizenship.

We’re proud to be supporters of the BGIC for the second year. The event falls neatly in line with two of our four pillars for corporate social responsibility (CSR) which are education and environment.

A good education is the foundation for securing the future of a nation while allowing Bruneians to make contributions at the highest level. At the same time, we believe that sustainability and progress hand in hand which is why we have committed to policies and practices that ensure proper conservation of the natural environment.

]]>https://progresif.com/borneo-global-issues-conference/feed/0Reality 2.0https://progresif.com/reality-2-0/
https://progresif.com/reality-2-0/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:33:56 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=512When it comes to immersive experiences, there isn’t anything else that comes close to what the technology of virtual and augmented reality can offer. For example, the gaming industry realised that it can do amazing things with using virtual reality … Continue reading →

]]>When it comes to immersive experiences, there isn’t anything else that comes close to what the technology of virtual and augmented reality can offer.

For example, the gaming industry realised that it can do amazing things with using virtual reality (VR) technology, giving gamers an experience that one could never get on a screen.

Gamers can now feel like they’re “inside” the game itself. The game ‘Job Simulator’ is one of the more famous of VR games. You actually play the role of a chef or a mechanic and do ‘jobs’ in the VR world. (There’s actually a VR arcade in Brunei that opened in May at Hua Ho Manggis. You can visit their Instagram page @vr_arcade for more information).

The concept of VR is simple. It substitutes the real-world environment with a digital one

VR hardware such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are revolutionising the way people play video games. VR hardware such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are revolutionising the way people play video games and this attracts many gamers who crave for a higher level of immersion in gaming.The concept of VR is simple. It substitutes the real-world environment with a digital one. Users can then explore and interact with the virtual world and experience a conceptually different environment than the one they’re used to.

Want to be on the moon without having to get there physically? Or explore a medieval castle in a fantasy realm? Would you want to fly an X-Wing in a Star Wars space battle? You can certainly do all that simply by donning a pair of VR glasses in the comfort of your home.

The story with VR is that it was supposed to take off commercially back in the 90’s with several prototypes pitched at science fairs and TV documentaries. But it didn’t live up to the promise due to technical limitations at that time.

Today, VR is ripe for mainstream success as the technology has progressed from the dated ‘Lawnmower Man’ visuals and laughably bulky headsets.

The technology is more powerful and advanced than the prototypes in university research labs long ago. The graphics look more realistic, the 3D effect is far more effective and the headsets are sleeker and more comfortable to wear.

The HTC Vive virtual reality headset

In the consumer market, the growth of VR has been driven by big businesses, making the application even more available for the masses.
Since 2014, Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners have been able to strap their devices onto the proprietary Gear VR headset accessory. Huawei has 10 smartphones that are ready for VR applications which makes the technology more accessible to phone users. More recently, Google is hard at work in making its Daydream application more accessible to all Android phone users.

The applications for VR also extends beyond entertainment with real uses within industries like engineering, medical, education, military and aviation. In 2015, German airliner Lufthansa used VR to create a virtual experience for visitors at a travel trade show in Berlin. They upped their VR game by getting customers to use VR to bid for premium seat upgrades in a blind auction!

Related

In social media, Facebook launched Facebook Spaces in April, giving the company its very own VR platform that lets users interact with friends on the social network in a virtual world. The future of social media? Definitely.

Of course, VR isn’t the only technology that’s giving our sensory perceptions new dimensions. It has a close relative; Augmented Reality (AR).

AR, along with VR and Artificial Intelligence, could well be the next big thing after personal computers and smartphones.

Unlike VR, AR superimposes information on the real world, heightening our senses by giving us the ability to interact with things that are already around us.

The hit game Pokemon Go is an example of how AR works. You turn on the app and then suddenly find that the real world has a few additions; Pokemon which you need to catch and only exists within the AR app through your smartphone.

In social media, Snapchat or Instagram carry filters to make you look like a cartoon character or even a celebrity. However, this is only the beginning of what AR is capable of. Thanks to breakthrough advancements in recent years, AR applications now has span across a wide spectrum of industries including entertainment, business, education, construction, healthcare and design, just to name a few.

The most popular form of AR gear right now is wearable tech, particularly head-mounted displays which give the wearer a more immersive experience like VR headsets.

But unlike VR headsets, which blocks our world view and substitutes it with a digital environment, AR-enabled goggles combine the virtual and physical worlds. Think of the scenes in the Iron Man or Robocop movies where both characters are utterly dependent on information displayed by their futuristic AR helmets.

About five years ago, Google gave us a glimpse on the uses of AR with its product Google Glass Since then, other companies have made their own variations of AR tech.
One of the most notable AR headset is Microsoft’s HoloLens which is essentially a holographic computer built into a headset, giving the wearer the ability to interact with holograms projected in an environment through the display.

In the healthcare sector, surgeons used an AR application called Vipaar on Google Glass to assist them in surgical operations via augmented information projected on to the patient.

In the manufacturing industry, warehouse workers use SmartPick, an AR application to help them locate and sort packages. The applications for AR are also used in museums to enhance the visitor’s learning experience. The British Museum, for example, has AR installed in its galleries for visitors to interact with or see display artefacts come to life using their tablets. Meanwhile, British retailer Argos followed suit by using augmented tech to get people to shop directly from their catalogue through a supplementary smartphone app.

Japanese game maker Nintendo have been experimenting with augmented reality games on their Wii U console and 3DS handheld system, while Microsoft have been teasing gamers how its HoloLens can be used to play Minecraft in an augmented environment.

In Brunei, a gaming startup called Itsybytes have been working on AR game prototypes and we’ve even partnered with them to feature AR in our October-December 2016 magazine issue.

AR may still be in early days but technology is ripe for innovation with a lot of research being carried out to bring the tech into unexplored territories. As AR slowly become integrated in our daily lives, the future that Iron Man or Robocop live it may not be as far off as we think!

You can find out more information on VR by searching:

Facebook Spaces

Huawei Virtual Reality

Google Daydream

Lufthansa Visual Journey

For more information on AR, search:

]]>https://progresif.com/reality-2-0/feed/0Progresif Hero: Cultivate with Afizah & Syazwanahttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-cultivate-with-afizah-syazwana/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-cultivate-with-afizah-syazwana/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:33:49 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=520Afizah Sim and Syazwana Shaminan, hello and thank you for being with us today! You’re representing Cultivate. Explain to us what that is. AFIZAH: Cultivate is a new bistro which doubles up as a platform for MSMEs to come in … Continue reading →

]]>Afizah Sim and Syazwana Shaminan, hello and thank you for being with us today! You’re representing Cultivate. Explain to us what that is.

AFIZAH: Cultivate is a new bistro which doubles up as a platform for MSMEs to come in and use our space to help them develop their business.

MSMEs?

AFIZAH: Micro and Small Medium Enterprises. These are the people you see on Instagram, people who are doing business from home.
We want them to be able to use our space for a season, say three months, which in time they can cook in our kitchen, deal with customers one-on-one and learn how to grow their business on a real-time basis.

The best part of the team is that everybody is trying to come up with ideas

And they’ll be working together with Cultivate?

AFIZAH: Yes.

Interesting! How many of you in the team?

WANA: There are seven of us; two kitchen staffs, two are running the operations, another two are doing the marketing and we have Afizah taking care of general management.

The restaurant business is something of a different track for you, though, Afizah.

AFIZAH: Completely new and way off from where I came from! I’m primarily doing interior design, but we [at the company] have always been interested in the F&B business so we decided to come up with a team of people with experience in it. Brunei has a lot of institutes that train our people in hospitality and food and beverages, so we had a good pool to draw from.

Do you have a background in F&B then, Wana?

WANA: Some of the team members do! I graduated from Maktab Teknikal Sultan Saiful Rijal, where I studied Travel and Tourism services, so it’s quite similar to this industry.
So you’ll be learning to work with each other, but also with the different MSMEs coming in. How are you preparing yourselves for that?

AFIZAH: We’re on the starting ground right now, and chose to begin by experimenting with our own dishes and drinks.

WANA: Yes, since May 1st we’ve been trying out new menus every week, so our customers get variety and we get constant feedback.

AFIZAH: The best part of the team is that everybody is trying to come up with ideas. We’ve been trying these out with our customers, getting good reviews, and bad reviews which is also good, so we can improve. It’s been a good challenge!

So when the first MSME comes in, the team will be ready. What happens after a season?

AFIZAH: The idea is they should feel ready enough to launch a business, if they want to. Or they can come back to use our space again. Here they have infrastructure ready to go, and they get exposure. Also, if they want, they can use this space to teach adults or kids how to cook.
Sounds delicious! Last question: what does progressive mean to you?

AFIZAH: It’s being constantly motivated, inspired and pushing yourself to limits so you create new boundaries.

WANA: For me it’s stepping out of the comfort zone and accepting new challenges in life.

Want to get your hands on their food or their kitchen?
Dial +673 8314427 or email cultivatebistro@gmail.com, and remember to follow @cultivate.bistro on Instagram!

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-cultivate-with-afizah-syazwana/feed/0Progresif Hero: Zen Eco Solutions with Vanessa Teohttps://progresif.com/zen-eco-solutions-with-vanessa-teo/
https://progresif.com/zen-eco-solutions-with-vanessa-teo/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:32:13 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=524Hi Vanessa, nice to meet you! Can you tell me a little about yourself, Zen Eco and what it does? I’m the founder and CEO of Zeneco Solutions, a startup that has created an agriculture business intelligence platform called The … Continue reading →

]]>Hi Vanessa, nice to meet you! Can you tell me a little about yourself, Zen Eco and what it does?

I’m the founder and CEO of Zeneco Solutions, a startup that has created an agriculture business intelligence platform called The Farm IQ. It was an idea I had while doing my PhD in Agricultural Modeling in Brunei with IBM and Universiti Brunei Darussalam. I realised that there was a wealth of knowledge and research available from research institutes but they were not necessarily solving problems experienced by farmers on the ground.

My objective is to help farmers in the region as they are often ill-equipped and exploited.

Farmers need to figure out things that affect the profitability of their farm such as picking the best dates to plant or working out how much fertiliser should be applied. The Farim IQ was built to help farmers in their decision making so that they can be more profitable as a business.

I am not a coder so it was quite a challenging task to build the app. I spent three months in an intensive programming bootcamp in Canada at Lighthouse Labs, a company that teaches coding and developing. After winning the best app at the bootcamp, I was asked to stay on and join their accelerator program in Vancouver. So that was the first prototype for The Farm IQ.

My objective is to help farmers in the region as they are often ill-equipped and exploited. When I came back to Brunei, I enrolled myself in the 100-day startup boot camp which really enabled me to refine the startup and hire my core team members.

Your team is comprise of people from Brunei, Vancouver and Singapore. How do you feel about having a team of people from different countries coming together to solve problems?

Having a global team is an advantage because I’ve always believed in an interdisciplinary approach when it comes to solving complex problems. I try to leverage on the different skills each person brings to the table. A computer programmer would look at solving farming issues in a different way to a data scientist or a graphic designer.

My main vision is to help farmers or to help the world solve the hunger issue and grow better, in a sustainable way, as we move to nine billion people by 2050.

Besides the FarmIQ app, what was the intention with starting a company based around providing ecological solutions?

I like to identify solutions that don’t exist yet and I’ve always done that in a scientific environment which involves experiments and lab work. But to make a real change, you have to address problems on the ground and that is what I keep going back to. Better farm management leads to improvement on food security.

That’s my main vision- to help farmers or to help the world solve the global hunger issue and grow better, in a sustainable way, as we move to nine billion people by 2050.

I’m glad to say that we’ve recently opened our second office at the Royal Agricultural University in Gloucestershire in the UK. That will help position the company and help us reach the European market.

What keeps you motivated and how do you stay sane with this incredible workload and a business to run?

I am just grateful that I get to do what I really love and it was something that I worked so hard to achieve. In the first two years of my PhD, I spent most of my time collecting data and talking to farmers to get insights on their farming processes.

Farming is tough work. You wake up at the break of dawn and work under the sun so I feel for them. Some of them have asked me why I am doing this. I felt that I had a responsibility to help them because of the information gathered from my studies.

I stay sane by taking my alone time and I’m very good in segmenting my work-life balance, so it’s definitely a balance.

That’s awesome! And what does Progresif mean to you?

To me, to be progressive is to be brave enough to stand up for your vision and to be resilient even when you’re in difficult environments!

To get in touch with Zeneco Solutions, send an email to hello@thefarmiq.com and do follow them on Instagram @thefarmiq for exciting updates!

]]>https://progresif.com/zen-eco-solutions-with-vanessa-teo/feed/0DART’s The Way with Zul Idrishttps://progresif.com/darts-the-way-with-zul-idris/
https://progresif.com/darts-the-way-with-zul-idris/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:32:08 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=526Hello! Could you tell me a bit about yourself and what DART does? Sure, my name is Zul Amali Dato Paduka Hj Idris. I’m the founder and CEO of DART Logistics. I’m also a registered architect. DART is a startup … Continue reading →

Sure, my name is Zul Amali Dato Paduka Hj Idris. I’m the founder and CEO of DART Logistics. I’m also a registered architect. DART is a startup and we’re looking into helping with some of the transport problems that Brunei is facing.

So what does the company focus on? What’s the goal for you?

It’s a ride booking service based on a smartphone app. Right now, the culture of using [devices] is everywhere. Everyone has one and all the tech they need in each smartphone so we capitalised on that and using Brunei’s existing network connectivity and GPS, we basically have an app that gets you to where you want to go by matching drivers and passengers.

Download the DART app on both iOS and Android phones

How is DART different to the existing ride-sharing apps like Uber or Grab?

ZUL IDRIS: Essentially, it’s the same model but we want to make an impact addressing local needs. We’re going to have a service where it is ladies only (women drivers for female passengers and kids). We’re incorporating local taxis into DART as well. But it’s not just about taxis and private cars/drivers. We’re looking at trying different sorts of products down the line. These things need to be tried and tested.

The market in Brunei doesn’t exist so it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation; we’ve got to have the service to see if it’s viable. It is a big gamble but we think that there is a market. We just have to find what fits.

progressive means to me is to preempt solutions to address the problems now and ones that may happen in the future.

When you started the company, what was your main motivation? Was there a moment that sparked this idea?

Yes. Right now, the rate of unemployment is on a high and the economy is on a low. We’ve been thinking about this for a while since the service doesn’t exist in Brunei. It would also solve a lot of the [transport] problems in the process.

Honestly, the first thought was always having difficulty finding parking. Whenever you go to the malls or to town it’s hard to find parking. This is one of the motivations that kicked the whole thing off. The other one is of course, getting stuck in traffic jams while driving back home and picking up kids. By having a service like DART, we could potentially alleviate the pain that we go through every day and make life easier.

That sounds like a great idea. What are the next steps for DART and how soon are we seeing this launch?

DART Taxi’s was launched on Friday May 5th, 2017. DART Car is potentially two months away. We’re going to roll out hard and fast so hopefully the market is ready!

How does it work and what do I have to do if I want to be a Driver or a User?

If you are a rider/user, you just download the free app. Drivers need to apply to register, and go through thorough background and medical checks to qualify. There’s also a ratings system which keeps quality standards high for both drivers and users. Right now, we’re offering cashless payments and we’re the first app in Brunei to have an integrated payment gateway.

We can say that DART is a first in a lot of areas. The payment gateway is one and the service itself is another. We had to overcome lots of obstacles to launch the app. But the main message I want to share is to not to give up. You can do it – just keep persevering. If you do get stuck it means something’s wrong on your side so you must find how to address that and make it work in the Bruneian context.

It sounds like DART is something we need! So what does Progresif mean to you?

The world is full of problems. What being progressive means to me is to preempt solutions to address the problems now and ones that may happen in the future. It’s about thinking long-term and addressing [problems] before they happen and learning from champions as well.

Get in touch at office@dartbrunei.com or visit www.dartbrunei.com
You can also find Dart on Facebook or Instagram as @dartbrunei

]]>https://progresif.com/darts-the-way-with-zul-idris/feed/0Progresif Hero: Zed Peacehttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zed-peace/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zed-peace/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:32:03 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=531Tell us the story of how you came up with the name ‘Zed Peace’ ? My real name is Zaed Hani, so ‘Zed’ is taken from the first letter of my real name while the word ‘Peace’ was a way … Continue reading →

My real name is Zaed Hani, so ‘Zed’ is taken from the first letter of my real name while the word ‘Peace’ was a way of expressing what Brunei Darussalam is; the Abode of Peace. I drew inspiration from artists like Lupe Fiasco whose real name is Wasalu Muhammad Jaco; Lupe is the last part taken out of his first name.

I’ve been in the music industry for almost seven years now, mainly doing English and Malay hip hop music. I’ve done quite a few projects over the years including mixtapes and albums. I was formerly part of a hip hop group called Micbandits which is no longer actively making music, so now I am making music independently.

To me, Progressive is a growth process. It is about developing yourself to reach towards a goal or an objective, and making sure that you reach it.

How would you categorise the music that you have written?

When it comes to songwriting, it is about expressing the ideas that I have in my mind or its about exploration of new topics and content. I guess that has always been the formula from the start. If I wanted to talk about love or friendships or whatever comes to mind, I would put it into a song.

To me, writing the verses is the most interesting aspect of rap music. The practice of summarising thoughts in an eight bar or ten bar or twelve bar verse and then making it fit with technical rhyme schemes. I think that these elements of songwriting are most interesting for me and what I do.

Songwriting is quite universal in the sense that regardless of the genre, what separates a good songwriter from the regular ones is their ability to create thought provoking lyrics which can really draw listeners into the song.

Do you tend to follow a particular process when creating a new song?

My approach starts out with what the song is intend for. If it’s a radio release, then I would approach it a certain way. If it is just for my website then I’ll do something differently. When it comes to the lyrics writing process, I try to come up with the most unique ways of saying a sentence and then making it rhyme.

Hopefully, it will get the audience to hear various ways to say things with rhyme. So that has always been the thought process.

The album “Ramadhan Flow 3” by Zed Peace

How do you find inspiration for your songs?

I listen to a lot of music from different genres. I try to combine local elements, such as incorporating the Malay language and putting in cultural nuances so that locals can connect with the song even if they are written in English.

I suppose the defining style for myself is that I tend to add Bruneian words and slang into my songs. I think that it is quite important to establish who you are in the songs so that people know what you’re representing.

When I am working on a song, I am always trying to bring out those Bruneian values and reflect them in the lyrics. But lyrics are a mixed bag of emotions and they can be light, inspiring and comical, so it depends what I am trying to achieve with the song.

When do you decide that a song is finished?

ZED PEACE: It is usually a matter of instinct that kicks in. When I get the feeling that the song is what it needs to be then I know that it is complete.

What does ‘Progressive’ means to you?

To me, Progressive is a growth process. It is about developing yourself to reach towards a goal or an objective, and making sure that you reach it.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zed-peace/feed/0Progresif Hero: Priority Dynamics with Heng Kiathttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-priority-dynamics-with-heng-kiat/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-priority-dynamics-with-heng-kiat/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:31:58 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=528Data analytics is big business. How did you get started with it? About 10 years ago, I used to work for a company that did targeted marketing campaigns. One of the things I saw was that everything was done on … Continue reading →

About 10 years ago, I used to work for a company that did targeted marketing campaigns. One of the things I saw was that everything was done on gut instinct. This doesn’t really optimize the value of results as well as it could. It is also hard to justify spending on campaigns that are purely based on gut feelings.

Analytics is a very wide term but basically it is about looking at data and knowing what to do with it. The thing is there is a lot of data and a lot of time is spent because people over-analyse or look in the wrong places.

The word progressive to me means dynamically changing but still achieving the goals that you have.

Think of it in the case of a man trying to win the heart of a woman. He needs to be asking the right questions, in other words, get more data. To do that, he needs to ask relevant questions; what she likes to do, what is her favourite food or what are her hobbies. The outcome is to take her out but before that the man needs to be asking questions relevant to that outcome.

How do you communicate this to businesses?

At Priority Dynamics (PD), we believe that data analytics should be viewed in a practical way. It is not about having expensive licensed software or applications as they do not necessarily translate to better insights for decision making. We help businesses find the balance between cost of analytics and cost of opportunity.

To get into data analytics and science, you need to first understand what your business objectives are. Otherwise you’ll be spending a lot of time looking at data but not knowing what to do with it.

What did people do before data analytics?

The task of analyzing data isn’t new. People and businesses have long analysed data such as statistics.

The thing about statistics is that it can only tell you what is but it won’t help you to generate insights which are useful for your business.

Data science and analytics falls in between statistics and computer science which makes it a formidable tool for business because you are combining large amount of relevant information in an automated manner.

Is this something you’ve always wanted to do?

Not really (laughs). But that experience 10 years ago set me off on a journey into data science and analytics. I think that this realm is essentially a new industry which is applicable in any sector whether its telecommunications or in retail.

As someone who started getting into the industry 10 years ago, do you see changes of perception from people with regards to data analytics?

The awareness of analytics is already there. It was just that the resources for data science was lacking at that time. There is a lot of hype surrounding data analytics with many businesses thinking that it is just about getting the right software.

The best way is to first have a strong understanding of exactly what results you want for the business before moving on to select the type methodology that you want to use to get the data that you need for the outcome that you want.

Are you talking about getting the fundamentals right first and foremost?

Yes. And use their imagination at the same time. If I want to start a food business, the typical questions to be asked are such as what food I want to deliver and at what price. These business questions allow us to understand the market.

If I ask enough of these questions, I get a stronger understanding of what the customers could want. If I find out that the customers are health conscious, then I know how to start campaigns to get the results. It is basically looking at the data that you have and looking at future trends and possible customer behaviour.

What does the word ‘progressive’ mean to you?

The word progressive to me means dynamically changing but still achieving the goals that you have.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-priority-dynamics-with-heng-kiat/feed/0Progresif Startup Labhttps://progresif.com/progresif-startup-lab/
https://progresif.com/progresif-startup-lab/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 02:06:39 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=599Brunei is not short on creativity or passion for business and this has never been more apparent than by the overwhelming response since announcing the launch of our StartUp Lab. The entrepreneurial space is one that Progresif has been investing … Continue reading →

]]>Brunei is not short on creativity or passion for business and this has never been more apparent than by the overwhelming response since announcing the launch of our StartUp Lab. The entrepreneurial space is one that Progresif has been investing in since the launch of the brand two years ago.

We’ve seen the startup movement grow significantly in Brunei through efforts like Darussalam Enterprise’ (DARe) 100-Day StartUp boot camp which we have proudly supported for the last two sessions. These initiatives set the wheels in motion of what was to come in our support for startups.

We launched our own StartUp Lab to support companies that have just started and need a little support in the early days of their business.

We designed our programme to help these new businesses control costs while having access to a co-working space that was purposefully built to fit their needs. We also provide support structures in-house for marketing & sales, business development, technology, legal & financial advice as well as access to our global network of mentors, investors and partners.
As we focus on ICT and related businesses, the synergy that we aim to create in the Startup Lab brings quick wins for cost savings, revenue generation and creation of business opportunities to gain momentum before setting off on their own.

To date, we have welcomed two businesses into the lab since launch: DART Logistics, Brunei’s first ride booking service, and Priority Dynamics, a newly established data analytics company that will be bringing big data thinking, analysis and planning to Brunei.

What we expect:

A solid business plan and Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Dedicated team with relevant experience and track record of success

Past involvement with Entrepreneurship programs like DARe’s 100 Day Bootcamp

Willingness to give back to support the program through workshops, moderated forums and mentoring

What you get:

Fully equipped & furnished co-working space

Progresif StartUp voice, text and data package

Monthly business plan and progress reviews

Regular one-on-one sessions with mentors

Access to support functions like Finance, Legal & Regulatory, Marketing, Sales, IT and Engineering

If you think your business is ready to be part of the StartUp Lab can email us at info@progresif.com and include “Progresif StartUp Lab” in the subject line.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-startup-lab/feed/0A Journey to Selfhttps://progresif.com/a-journey-to-self/
https://progresif.com/a-journey-to-self/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:57:30 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=487Self Reflection is a process that helps us get a better sense of who we are, who we want to be and how we will achieve that. We arrive in this world without instruction manuals and grow up without an … Continue reading →

]]>Self Reflection is a process that helps us get a better sense of who we are, who we want to be and how we will achieve that.

We arrive in this world without instruction manuals and grow up without an emotional toolkit. Without proper bearing, it is easy to lose our way. As we go through life, we collect emotional scars from bad experiences that we inevitably face. At some point, these experiences clog our lives so much so that we disconnect with ourselves and our core beliefs.

According to psychologists, this disconnection causes us to drift away from giving our very best to achieve our true potential in life, or what American psychologist Abraham Maslow described as self-actualisation. Maslow was one of the founding fathers of Humanistic Psychology; the school of thought that is based on the belief that we are born with the desire to achieve our maximum potential. This idea was further adapted by the founder of Person-Centred Therapy, Carl Rogers, whose ideas set the baseline for modern psychotherapy. He also believed that every one of us have one basic motive that is the predisposition to self-actualise.

Simply put, psychologists are suggesting that every one of us has the potential to achieve the highest level of ‘human-beingness’, and that we can achieve our goals, wishes and dreams in life. Each of us starts out in life with a strong internal value system which gives us a sense of judgement on what is right and wrong. We learned these values from our parents and/or our immediate surroundings. It is this sense of values that make up our concept of self or specifically, our real self.

“Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside, awakes” – Carl Jung

As we deal with the reality of life, our ideals and values can appear naïve, unrealistic and untenable. Before long, we have abandoned those values in favour of the rules we are taught by the world and adapt our core values to these rules. This then forms the foundation of our projected self. These two components of self; the real-self and the projected-self, are crucial in shaping our lives.

When our real self (how we see ourselves) and projected self (what we would like to be) is in harmony with each other, the capacity for us to unlock our full potential is unlimited. The more aligned these two self-concepts are, the more in touch we are with the here and now.

We are also in tune with our experiences and feelings, and welcome change and growth. But when there is a discrepancy between these two concepts of self, harnessing our unlimited potential won’t be as easy. This is because when there is a clash between what we are and what we think we should be, we begin to experience a disharmony, which ultimately leads to increased levels of stress and anxiety.

The goal for ourselves is to achieve alignment with ourselves and eventually attain peace and happiness. As Maslow said, congruence can be developed and unlimited potential can be unlocked just as a flower can achieve full bloom when conditions are right.

Unlocking Potential

Human’s potential is unique and we are meant to develop and progress in different ways according to our personality. For us to unlock our potential and continuously “grow”, we need an environment that provides us with:

Genuineness

Which includes honesty, openness and self-disclosure

Unconditional acceptance

Being seen with unconditional positive regards

Empathy

Being listened to and understood

Self-awareness is defined as the accurate appraisal and understanding of our abilities and preferences, and their implications for our behaviour and their impact on others.

Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and science writer, has proposed a more popular definition of self-awareness in his best-selling book “Emotional Intelligence”. He defines it as “knowing one’s internal states, preference, resources and intuitions”. Self-awareness is our ability to monitor our inner world, our thoughts and emotions as they arise, along with how well we notice and monitor our inner world.

It must be noted that the effectiveness of self-awareness lies in its non-judgmental quality. This means that we accept things, good and bad experiences, as an inevitable part of being human rather than giving ourselves a hard time about it.

Furthermore, self-awareness goes beyond getting to know ourselves better. It is also about paying attention to our inner state with a fresh mind and an open heart.

This is important because our mind has the tendency to store information on how we react to a certain event to form a blueprint (or instruction manual) of our emotional life. This causes us to condition our mind to react in a certain way when we encounter similar events in the future.

Now, self-awareness allows us to be conscious of this conditioning and preconceptions of the mind, which can form the foundation of freeing the mind from it.

So what? How can it help in unlocking potential?

According to Daniel Goleman, self-awareness is a cornerstone for emotional intelligence. The ability to monitor our emotions and thoughts proactively is key not only to understand ourselves better but also to being at peace with who we are. Those who are more self-aware, tend to act consciously rather than react passively. They are in good psychological health and tends to be more positive in life.

They also have a greater depth of life experience and are more likely to be more compassionate to themselves and others.

Why is it not easy to be more self-aware?

If self-awareness is indeed important, why aren’t we more self-aware? The most obvious answer is that we are simply “not present enough” to observe ourselves. In other words, we are not “wholly present” to pay attention to what’s going on inside or around us.

A recent study by psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert found that we are on “automatic pilot” or are unconscious of our own actions.

Besides the constant mind-wandering, the various cognitive bias also affects our ability to have a more accurate understanding of ourselves. For example, confirmation bias can trick us into searching for or interpreting information in a way that confirms our preconceptions or views about a certain topic.

A lack of the willingness to seek feedback could also work against us if we want a more holistic view of ourselves through the eyes of others. This could have a significant impact on the story we are telling ourselves and the way we relate to others.

Five simple and straightforward strategies to Develop and Improve Self-Awareness

Create some space to self-reflect

Allocate yourself some time and space every day – perhaps first thing in the morning or half an hour before sleep when you stay away from the digital distractions and spend some time reading, writing, meditating, self-reflecting and connecting with yourself. Imagine if you are in a dark room without windows, it is rather difficult to see things clearly. The space you create for yourself is that crack on the wall where you allow light to come through.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the key to self-awareness. American professor Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”. Through mindfulness practice, you will be more present with yourself and you can “be there” to observe what’s going on inside and around you. Mindfulness is not about sitting cross-legged or suppressing your thoughts. It is about paying attention to your inner state as they arise. You can practice mindfulness at any time you want, through mindful listening, mindful walking or even eating.

Keep a Journal

Writing helps to process our thoughts. It also makes us feel connected and at peace with ourselves. Writing can also create more headspace as you let your thoughts flow out onto paper. Research shows that writing down things we are grateful for or even things we are struggling with helps increase happiness and satisfaction. You can also use the journal to record your inner state. Try this at home –choose a half day on a weekend, pay close attention to your inner world – self-reflect and ask yourself what you are feeling or what you are saying to yourself, and make a note of what you observe every hour. You may well be surprised about what you write down!

Practice being a good listener

Listening is about being present and paying attention to other people’s emotions, body movement and language. It is about showing empathy and understanding without constantly evaluating or judging. When you become a good listener, you will also be better at listening to your own inner voice and become the best friend of yourself.

Get Different Perspectives

Ask for feedback from others. It is true that it can be nerve-wracking to do so and sometimes we can be too afraid to ask what others think of us – yes sometimes the feedback may be biased or even dishonest but you will be able to differentiate them from real, genuine and balanced feedback as you learn more about yourself and others. We all have blind spots, so it is always helpful to gain different perspectives to see a fuller picture of ourselves.

To summarise, connecting to ourselves in an open, kind and accepting way is not only essential to our well-being, but also critical in unlocking our true potential. It must be said however that developing and/or improving self-awareness is a life-long journey and we all have work to do in this area. Not only that, being a good listener to our own inner voice is not easy, especially given how much noise and conditioning (external and internal) is imposed on us. But with practice, practice and practice, it will surely become easier for us if not natural.

To be self-aware is to be more resilient, more realistic and for others more predictable. Remember as Winston Churchill put it, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential”.

]]>https://progresif.com/a-journey-to-self/feed/0Mindplus Education, Pg Khairi Pg Metussinhttps://progresif.com/mindplus-education-pg-khairi-pg-metussin/
https://progresif.com/mindplus-education-pg-khairi-pg-metussin/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:57:11 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=535Hi! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started with Mindplus? My name is Khairi and I’m the founder and CEO of Mindplus Education Sdn Bhd. We have a couple of co-founders in Brunei and Indonesia. We’ve … Continue reading →

]]>Hi! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started with Mindplus?

My name is Khairi and I’m the founder and CEO of Mindplus Education Sdn Bhd. We have a couple of co-founders in Brunei and Indonesia. We’ve been based in Indonesia for the past few years.

Our goal is to bring change to education with the use of technology. This will be the future of education so we have been doing a lot of research and development to look at how things are going to evolve in the next three to five years.

How did you get started in tech and what sparked your interest in the industry?

I’ve been in the industry for the past six years. I first became an entrepreneur in the publishing sector but it wasn’t long until I realised that technology was being used as the common tool to deliver information. That was when I shifted more towards technology based applications.
I’m passionate about finding the best way to blend technology and education in a balanced way. It’s not about technology for the sake of it. It’s about how we can provide education using technology as a means.
I moved to Indonesia, specifically to Bandung, because it is a hub for education. That’s where all the institutions are producing highly skilled, talented human resources. So I believe the company is in the right place.

Modernising Islamic Education will take time but we believe we are a step ahead

App for Mushaf Brunei Darussalam dan Terjemahnnya

What does Mindplus do as a company? And what’s the main thing you guys are working on at the moment?

As we’re focused on EdTech (Educational Technology), we’re trying to identify gaps in education and provide solutions for that. One of our flagship products is Islamic Mind, an application we created to help enhance understanding of Islamic topics.

Conventional learning methods has its limits and children nowadays are not absorbing as much with the traditional methods of education. In the application, visual learning is applied making it easier and fun for kids to learn and engage in the process.

When we look at the market, we see that there are a lot of gaps for improvement and that’s where we see that we can contribute with our flagship product.

You’re referring specifically to the regional market?

We are referring to the global market. We’re studying closely the education market in the United States, Canada, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Modernising Islamic Education will take time but we believe we are a step ahead in terms of our research and development on how to really innovate that industry.

Teamwork seems to be a big part of the company’s ethos, what was it like to essentially collaborate with two countries and to bring those various skill sets into one company?

When you talk about talent capacity, Bruneians are very good but we can improve on having that hunger and discipline to get things moving. In Indonesia, the arena is more competitive. Everyone is hungry and wants to be at the top. When I started working in Indonesia with my team, the environment caused us to improve ourselves a lot.
It’s quite touching to see a team that works until midnight to meet deadlines and targets. These things motivate me and push me to become better. I think Bruneians need to expose themselves to working in a dynamic environment. When you see people out there pushing for a common goal it is quite infectious.

One last question! What does Progresif mean to you?

It’s how you shift and adapt to change. Change is always difficult and takes a lot of time but if you are absorbing enough information and knowledge you can progress even faster. I think education is a major factor in how you can be progressive, which is why it’s a part of our mission and vision. It’s very important that everyone gets the right knowledge and education.

]]>https://progresif.com/mindplus-education-pg-khairi-pg-metussin/feed/0Unleashing The Unlimited Youhttps://progresif.com/unleashing-the-unlimited-you/
https://progresif.com/unleashing-the-unlimited-you/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:57:02 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=474At some point in our lives, most of us feel the gentle calling of our soul.Sometimes it’s so quiet we can barely hear it. Some of us may even pretend that we didn’t hear it. For others, the calling is … Continue reading →

]]>At some point in our lives, most of us feel the gentle calling of our soul.Sometimes it’s so quiet we can barely hear it. Some of us may even pretend that we didn’t hear it. For others, the calling is louder; in the form of a persistent ache or a nagging sense that there is something amiss.

In the dead of our sleepless nights, we find ourselves thinking about how we got caught up in the treadmill of our daily grind and wonder if this is really it. Our heart tells us there is a better way of living and that we need to stop ignoring what really matters – the suffering of others, the future of our planet or even fulfilling our own dreams, but our head tells us to get on with our lives as they are.

The holy month of Ramadhan is an invitation for us to go on a journey

The call may take the form of a crisis such as a relationship breakup, a betrayal or loss. Sometimes, it’s the challenges that we face daily; the never-ending house chores, work assignments, anxiety, depression or another serious illness, that forces us into moments of self-reflection. For some of us, the fasting month is a time to cleanse our soul and repent of our wrong doing. Others find that it is a time of reflection; to slow down and see life beyond their own business and spend quality time with their loved ones.

Ramadhan is an opportunity for us to take a step away from the monotony of daily life and embark on a journey of self-reflection to get ourselves centred again. Many of us may have resisted the calling for months, years or even decades, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

You can choose to take action and live a more meaningful life and unleash your unlimited potential. If you’ve heard the call, then this write up is for you.

Five qualities of the Healthy and Fully Functioning Person

Open to Experience

They accept both positive and negative emotions as part of experience, and embrace life as it is. They maintain strong self-awareness while being aware of others at the same time. They have a solid trust in the wisdom of life.

They live in the Moment

They are in touch with their own life experience and avoid having preconceptions. This means that they are able to live and appreciate the present, not preoccupied with looking back to the past or forward to the future (i.e. living for the moment).

“People do not realise that now is all ever there is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind” – Eckhart Tolle

They Trust

They pay attention to their true feelings, instincts and gut reactions and learn to trust them. The moment this is achieved, they become tolerant, loving and kind, with themselves as well as the people around them.

They welcome Creativity

Creative thinking and risk-taking are features of a person’s life. A healthy and fully functional person does not play safe all the time. They know they are the one who are responsible for their lives, they will do whatever they can in order to make a change, and in order to create something that will last long even after they’re gone.

They know that they are here for a purpose that is bigger than themselves. They will do whatever they can to make their dreams become reality while helping the world along the way.

They lead a Fulfilled Life

They are happy, satisfied and content (“bersyukur”) with life but they are also constantly looking for new challenges and experiences.

Part of living a fulfilling life is also being responsible for your own lives. A fully functioning person knows that choices play an important role in defining their lives.

The idea is, no matter where you are in life whether you are a student, unemployed graduate, or a home-maker, whether you are the CEO of a successful company, a teacher, a nurse, a mechanic, or even a street cleaner, you CAN make a difference. WE ALL CAN. And you will be able to accomplish this by doing something that you really love and loving that which you do, because when you do what you love, you will be the best at your job and Insya Allah, success will follow.

]]>https://progresif.com/unleashing-the-unlimited-you/feed/0Islamic Education: Beyond The Classroomhttps://progresif.com/islamic-education-beyond-the-classroom/
https://progresif.com/islamic-education-beyond-the-classroom/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:55:26 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=539As a mother, Dr Mona would face a lot of increasingly complex questions from her own children. Sometimes they would ask which creatures are stronger than the other. Then there’s a few more that left her bewildered such as ‘Which … Continue reading →

]]>As a mother, Dr Mona would face a lot of increasingly complex questions from her own children. Sometimes they would ask which creatures are stronger than the other. Then there’s a few more that left her bewildered such as ‘Which of the weather elements are more powerful, wind or rain?’

“I had no idea how to answer these questions. That’s when I thought that there is an Islamic perspective and that those were the things I wanted my children to learn as well”

“I had no idea how to answer these questions. That’s when I thought that there is an Islamic perspective and that those were the things I wanted my children to learn as well,” said the founder of muBn, a bespoke consultancy company.

It was these experiences that led Dr Mona to create Tarbiyyah’; a ‘pray and play learning approach inspired by the teachings in the Quran, Hadiths (reports describing the words, actions and habits of the Prophet) and Sunnah (The Way of the Prophet). The programme teaches children between the ages of three to nine years old more about Islam, Hadith & Sunnah, Solat, Miracles of Qur’an, Arabic, Stories of the Sahabah Zikrullah, all from a scientific perspective.

Why kids in that age group you may ask? Well, Dr Mona says that’s when kids are usually at the age of ‘genius’. This means that kids start to ask sharp and intelligent questions. It is an exciting time for kids to be learning so we’ve structured the Tarbiyyah programme to take advantage of this and to unlock the creativity and inventiveness of the children, she said.

Tarbiyyah employs a practical approach when it comes to learning rather than just being theory based. Dr Mona said that the programme teaches children to be critical thinkers by taking part in activities that train their Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).
In the programme, the kids take part in arts and craft activities and perform scientific experiments to ensure a practical learning experience. But it doesn’t end there. To stay true to Islamic teachings, Dr Mona said that the children eat raisins, dates, almonds and drink zamzam water to imitate the life in the days of the Prophet (pbuh).

The goal? By taking part in the rituals and habits of the Prophet (pbuh), the children would be able to learn meaningful lessons about their own spirituality and have those lessons etched in their minds. “The main message we want to bring is that Islam is a complete way of life”, she said.
She has big plans in mind for Tarbiyyah. The programme is already recognised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Brunei and the programme’s instructors are certified by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB).

Dr Mona hopes to turn the programme into a franchise so that more children in other countries will be able to learn more about Islam in a wholistic way.

“We’re hoping to see Tarbiyyah grow into a franchise. We’ve already started talking to potential collaborators outside of Brunei so we’ll see how that goes. And we’re also working to get internationally accredited so that we get the programme into other countries,” she said.

Thinking about putting your child through the Tarbiyyah programme? Visit www.mubn.co to find out more details about registration. You can also follow them on Instagram @mubn_lgc for updates.

]]>https://progresif.com/islamic-education-beyond-the-classroom/feed/0The Tarbiyyah Projecthttps://progresif.com/the-tarbiyyah-project/
https://progresif.com/the-tarbiyyah-project/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:55:20 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=543Brunei’s first ever Islamic based scientific enrichment programme for children. Why Tarbiyyah? Tarbiyyah is the systematic development of Muslim individuals that focuses on character development, which begins from the heart. The Tarbiyyah process aims to put Muslims on the path … Continue reading →

]]>Brunei’s first ever Islamic based scientific enrichment programme for children.

Why Tarbiyyah?

Tarbiyyah is the systematic development of Muslim individuals that focuses on character development, which begins from the heart. The Tarbiyyah process aims to put Muslims on the path of constant self-purification, self-correction and self-development while instilling the passion for truth, compassion, righteousness and justice.

What is Tarbiyyah hoping to achieve?

The Tarbiyyah Project hopes to provide a solid foundation upon which their toolbox of knowledge and skills, sense of purpose and motivation for self- betterment as for the community and the world can grow.

This strong foundation is a sound heart filled with love for Allah and His Prophet Muhammad for all our kids. A sound heart would have very little if any space for fear and negativity, a miracle granted by the Creator for the best coping mechanism for life’s challenges.

How does it benefit children? What do they gain from Tarbiyyah?

Often kids associate Islam and religion to Ugama school and religious classes as an obligation. We believe that Islam is a way of life and part of that involves fun. Tarbiyyah teaches children that there is a fun way to pray and play! Constant remembrance of Allah is key to a sound heart for Muslims, and our project trains children to think like that at an early age. It is designed to ensure that the children will ‘know of Allah’s greatness’ in their daily lives – making them critical thinkers and insightful individuals.

We believe that Islam is a way of life and part of that involves fun

Children at Tarbiyyah Class

How is tarbiyyah different to other learning methods?

The Tarbiyyah Project for Kids is Brunei’s (and possibly the world’s) first ever Islamic based scientific enrichment programme for children. Not only is it intellectually stimulating but it is also packed with lots of fun crafts and experiments. At the core of the programme are the 99 Names of Allah and His attributes. These are reflected in the miracles of the Quran which our team of talented curriculum developers put together for an inspiring yet exciting lesson. The beauty of it all is our ’emergent curriculum’ which ignites creativity in the kids and their spiritual enlightenment.

We do things like Halaqah (Arabic for circle) study circle, self-reflection and self-improvement (true self). We bring our vast training experiences and inject in Islam to develop a strong Muslim or Muslimah identity.

Other supplementary programmes under the Tarbiyyah Plus series are Young Muslim Entrepreneurship and Hadith Classes. Tarbiyyah Plus are follow up courses for older students which also develop mental strength and tranquil students who can utilise their intellect positively.

What happens in a Tarbiyyah class?

A typical Tarbiyyah class starts off with some ice breaking, a little something to get them going. The kids seem to love Alif Baa Taa (Arabic letters) Arabic and the Zikir (devotional acts in Islam) Train.

We all sit down and start the lesson by introducing one of the Names of Allah, what it means, and relating it to concepts or ideas that children can understand.

The exciting bit is when we work out fun experiments for them that help them internalise the lessons. Our team gets them to do crafts related to the lesson or an experiment for them to take home and explain to their parent and families.

All the while they are reminded to say their Zikir and thank Allah for all the fun they’re having and other blessings they can think of. They also have a ‘sembahyang berjemaah’ or prayer session together right before they leave to end the day on a happy note by connecting to the Lord of the Worlds.

]]>https://progresif.com/the-tarbiyyah-project/feed/0A Ramadhan Journeyhttps://progresif.com/a-ramadhan-journey/
https://progresif.com/a-ramadhan-journey/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:54:57 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=545For many Muslims,the act of fasting isn’t purely a physical test; it’s primarily a time for spiritual reflection and reconnection. Muslims do not necessarily retreat from their daily routine. In fact, it is about continuing daily routines in life during … Continue reading →

]]>For many Muslims,the act of fasting isn’t purely a physical test; it’s primarily a time for spiritual reflection and reconnection. Muslims do not necessarily retreat from their daily routine.

In fact, it is about continuing daily routines in life during the period of the fast. This practice requires endurance which, in turn, brings out the qualities of patience and understanding in the person.

As part of our commitment to support the local arts industry, we collaborated with local production house Origin Artistic Management to give a glimpse of what Ramadhan looks like in real life.

Many Muslims can relate to the challenges, benefits and the fulfilling sense of spiritual achievement following one month of fasting.
The short film tells a story of what Ramadhan looks like for those away from home and their loved ones; something which is experienced by many in the foreign worker community.

As challenging as the distance can be, it doesn’t do much to dampen the festive Eid al-Fitr or Aidilfitri celebrations.

In Brunei, there is no doubt that the festive season brings people from all cultural and religious backgrounds together with their Muslim friends in a display of unity, diversity, tolerance and forgiveness.

We hope that you enjoy the short film as much as we enjoyed creating it. Be sure to check out our Instagram page @progresif_cellular and our YouTube page by searching for ‘Progresif Cellular’.

]]>Dr. Mona Kassim, welcome! You’re the founder of muBn, an adjunct senior professor at Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA) and a mother of four. Phew!

Yes (laughs)! They’re wonderful children, Alhamdulillah, curious and creative. We do fun things together; activities from the Quran, looking to see where Allah created the sun, the moon and stuff like that.

Between that and UNISSA, you also run a business. What does the company do?

MuBn Learning and Growth specialises in boutique talent and growth management solutions. We provide training, development for entrepreneurship education. We also have Tarbiyyah for kids, which is an enrichment programme for three to nine year olds.

You mentioned Tarbiyyah. Are you able to tell us more about what that is?

Tarbiyyah is an innovative solution for parents who want to help children learn about Allah and Islam in a wholistic way. The idea sprung from my kids who are scientifically inclined. They asked me strange questions that I didn’t know the answers to. For example, ‘Mama, where does Allah exist in worms? Which one is stronger – wind or water?’ I found the answers through the Quran and Hadiths.

Wow, the programme is literally home grown!

It all started with my kids, followed by the cousins. Then there were people that started asking more questions about Tarbiyyah. We have put together a programme in December 2015, and it’s grown organically from there. So far, we have accommodated about 600 students. We are also doing research on entrepreneurship. Did you know that entrepreneurship is genetically inheritable?

No, I didn’t!

One of the exciting research project we’re doing now is trying to see who in Brunei would be more inclined to start a business. We found out that it’s the female students that come from families where both parents are in business. The next group to be most inclined to start a business are male students whose fathers are doing business. The research is still a work in progress so there more findings to uncover.

the goal is to spread the beauty of Islam in a meaningful way to all our clients

What about for youself? Can you share with us your approach when it comes to business?

I’d call it dakwahpreneurship which is combination of entrepreneurship and dakwah (Arabic word for invite or summon). At MuBn, the goal is to spread the beauty of Islam in a meaningful way to all our clients.

In dakwahpreneurship, I’m searching for something called the KIP. We all know about Key Performance Indicators or KPI but I am talking of Key Intangible Performance; barakah (Arabic for continuity or spiritual presence that begins with God) which encompasses calmness, great teamwork, happy and smiling people. MuBn is my ninth startup company and I consider it to be the most meaningful because I feel that the barakah is there, Masha Allah.

There is really a lot to look forward to for and from muBn! Is there anything in the works which you can share?

I’m excited to say that we’re positioning the Tarbiyyah programme as a franchise. I recently returned from Singapore where we spoke to collaborators about parking the programme in the mosques. And the same in Malaysia.

We’re working on getting international accreditation of the curriculum. Once we have that, we can roll it out to other countries, Insya’Allah. So, yay for dakwahpreneurship!

Last question: what does progressive mean to you?

It is about being a change agent to help society get better and alleviate hurt in the community. It takes innovation, creativity and an independent mindset while having that wholistic viewpoint that you are here for a purpose.

Interested in bespoke trainings for your team? Want to know more about their Islamic-based workshops? Get in touch on email mubn.lgc@gmail.com or visit www.mubn.co

You can also find muBn Learning and Growth Company on Facebook or Instagram as @mubn_lgc.

]]>https://progresif.com/mubn-learning-growth-company-dr-mona-kassim/feed/0Al-Huffaz Management, Loqman Al-Hakim Hamdanhttps://progresif.com/al-huffaz-management-loqman-al-hakim-hamdan/
https://progresif.com/al-huffaz-management-loqman-al-hakim-hamdan/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:52:46 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=508Loqman, thanks for being here. Help us get to know you better! LOQMAN HAMDAN: Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh. My name is Loqman Hamdan. People call me Loqman, or Loqi. Not of the Avengers, though (laughs). I’m married and I have a three-month … Continue reading →

LOQMAN HAMDAN: Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh. My name is Loqman Hamdan. People call me Loqman, or Loqi. Not of the Avengers, though (laughs). I’m married and I have a three-month old daughter. She’s very cute! My father is an Imam and my mother is a religious teacher in Temburong.

Is that where you’re from?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: No, my parents moved there because it’s peaceful and quiet. My in-laws are fishermen. People ask their help to make and repair fishing nets. Actually, the family on my mum’s side are fishermen, too. When I was a kid, family members coming back from sea would ask me to sell their catch. I’d go door to door selling prawns.

It wasn’t a very sweet memory because people would tell me ‘Wah, so expensive!’ I developed a thick skin, what we call the ‘ten cent face’ (pulls a stoic face). It’s a good skill. You should learn it!’
I should! It has helped you create a unique company.

Tell us about that.

LOQMAN HAMDAN: It all started with three friends having a simple idea for filling a need. We called it Al-Huffaz Management, an event management company specialising in religious events. Now, it has moved to education services, Alhamdulillah. What we do is send Al-Quran teachers to your home. Bookings are made online so it’s very flexible and automated.

We’re also endorsed by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB). By the way, we’ve just turned one year old. We’re legit!

It all started with three friends having a simple idea for filling a need

Happy anniversary! It was a great idea to bring the service online. What’s the year been like?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: I had a friend with internet computing background. She approached me early on and today she is our Chief Technology Officer. At that time, she said ‘why not make a website, and make the Uber of Al-Quran teaching a reality?’ Today, we have 400 students and 78 Al-Quran educators on the platform.

That’s a big team. Do you have a people power philosophy?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: Quality is important. You need to have skills, professionalism and passion. The other thing is diversity. We love to have the team with many backgrounds because that generates lots of ideas. We even have services like fun Islamic leaders workshop and we’re expanding into Arabic courses and religious school courses.

So much happening at Al-Huffaz! What’s the unifying vision?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: We would love for the whole Muslim community in Brunei to have Quran literacy.

Is there an intention to cast a bigger net?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: We have great support and mentors behind us. They are pushing us to go to Europe, and Canada. Alhamdulillah, we have Al-Huffaz in Canberra today, in Australia, and we have successfully piloted online classes for learners in different countries.

Loqman, that’s excellent! Before we part, can you tell us what progressive means to you?

LOQMAN HAMDAN: It means to keep going, keep improving, and keep hustling. It means always getting better, getting out of your comfort zone and being open minded so you can accept praise, criticism and encouragement well.

Want to book a lesson? The first one is free!Call them on +673 821 1854, or find @alhuffazbn on Instagram and Facebook.

]]>https://progresif.com/al-huffaz-management-loqman-al-hakim-hamdan/feed/0Bringing Businesses to Greater Heightshttps://progresif.com/bringing-businesses-to-greater-heights/
https://progresif.com/bringing-businesses-to-greater-heights/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:51:19 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=503Do you have an idea but don’t know where to go? Have you ever dreamed about turning those ideas into a business venture but don’t know how to get started? Give yourself a chance and turn those ideas into reality … Continue reading →

]]>Do you have an idea but don’t know where to go? Have you ever dreamed about turning those ideas into a business venture but don’t know how to get started?

Give yourself a chance and turn those ideas into reality by joining the Startup Bootcamp by Darussalam Enterprise (DARe). The Startup Bootcamp is a 100-day accelerator programme for startups. The programme provides a platform for new businesses to grow their products and services while linking them to potential investors. Startups are most vulnerable in their early years of doing business when they’re still trying to find their feet.

The bootcamp acts as a platform for startups where they learn to grow and materialize their ideas by going through the programme. Currently, there are three different bootcamps; Startup Bootcamp, E-Commerce Bootcamp and Microbusiness Bootcamp.

Startup Bootcamp

This is a 100-day accelerator programme for businesses that have the potential to scale rapidly and more into export. This bootcamp features leading business experts from various fields including marketing, legal, branding and finance. During the bootcamp, startups meet every Tuesday night to update their progress. The programme ends with a Demo Day where startups take the stage and pitch to investors.

E-Commerce Bootcamp

Those seeking to boost their business online can only stand to benefit from this three-month bootcamp. The programme is conducted by a leading e-commerce platform from the region. Here, local businesses will learn more about the fundamentals of online business and trading such as online payment, logistics, finance and social media marketing, all of which are essential elements to get right when doing business overseas.

Microbusiness Bootcamp

This bootcamp caters for the needs of micro-businesses which are defined in Brunei as companies with less than five employees. The bootcamp is divided into three separate programmes which are a month each; Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Young Entrepreneurship Development Programme and Business Launchpad programme for university graduates. The bootcamp covers the fundamentals for starting a business and the formal processes for registering and operating a business including financing options.

We’re pleased to have been involved in the last Startup Bootcamp which took place from October 2016 to January 2017. Progresif was given the opportunity to provide advice on marketing, legal and finance to budding entrepreneurs and startups.

We’re proud to have contributed to this programme and hope that our knowledge and experience was useful to all startups.

For more information on the three programmes visit their website at www.dare.gov.bn and click on ‘Enterprise Programmes’ then select ‘Startup Bootcamp Programme’ or follow them on IG @darussalamenterprise Alternatively, you can also reach out to DARe on their hotline at +673 836 3442 or send them an email with your business idea and personal details at dare@ei.gov.bn or dare.ept@dare.gov.bn

]]>https://progresif.com/bringing-businesses-to-greater-heights/feed/0Customer Carehttps://progresif.com/customer-care/
https://progresif.com/customer-care/#respondWed, 21 Jun 2017 01:51:18 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=587At Progresif, we believe that strong relationships with customers set the stage for customer loyalty. To do that, we are constantly asking ourselves critical questions: How are we delivering a Progresif experience to our customers? How do we communicate our … Continue reading →

]]>At Progresif, we believe that strong relationships with customers set the stage for customer loyalty. To do that, we are constantly asking ourselves critical questions: How are we delivering a Progresif experience to our customers? How do we communicate our brand? And, how can we deliberately continue to exceed your expectations?

We’re on a mission to bring to you all the possibilities and joys of a connected, inspired and progressive life. You can expect not only enhanced products and services from us, but also better ways of communicating through us, improved channels to connect and unmatched experiences that will give you better value for money. To deliver on this promise, we are gearing up our efforts to get to know you better so that we can improve on our services and keep in touch with your evolving wants and needs.
We are continuously finding ways to help our customers enjoy a seamless and progressive communication experience, and this is what our upcoming Customer Care App will deliver.

We are on a mission to bring to our customers all the possibilities and joys of a connected, inspired and progressive life

Imagine if you could buy call credit, perform credit transfers, purchase data packs and add-ons right from your smartphone. And it’s as easy as downloading the Customer Care App and then registering for the service.
With this innovative channel, we’re giving our customers what we’ve always set out to give: The Freedom to do More. That means more time doing the things that you love.

Of course, that’s not all. You can expect to hear more from us as we continue to work hard to bring you innovative products and services. Stay tuned for the latest developments and a big ‘Thank You’ for your support!

]]>https://progresif.com/customer-care/feed/0Progresif announces free data for new prepaid SIM subscribershttps://progresif.com/progresif-announces-free-data-for-new-prepaid-sim-subscribers/
https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-free-data-for-new-prepaid-sim-subscribers/#respondThu, 15 Jun 2017 09:00:05 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1432Progresif Cellular announced today that it will be giving 1GB of local data to new prepaid subscribers for both mobile and broadband. From today until July 16, subscribers that activate a new prepaid SIM will get 1GB of free data … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular announced today that it will be giving 1GB of local data to new prepaid subscribers for both mobile and broadband.

From today until July 16, subscribers that activate a new prepaid SIM will get 1GB of free data with a one-month validity, giving new subscribers 1GB of data to use instantly with their new SIM.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Progresif, said that the promotion is just one of the many examples of how the company is working to improve access to communication.

“We’re building momentum based on the belief that there should be minimal barriers when it comes to communication. Our latest initiative for new prepaid customers reflects this belief and we want to extend this to our new customers to grow the overall mobile market in Brunei.”

“By having data ready at hand, new prepaid customers can immediately focus on connecting and communicating with their friends and family on the Progresif network,” he said.

The effort to improve access to communication began in March 2015 when Progresif announced that they would pay for the annual license fee of their customers, giving the wider public an entry point for their daily communication needs.

The company followed through its objective of making communication simple by implementing flat rates for calls, text messages and data.

These equalised rates meant that there was no longer a price difference for postpaid and prepaid, as opposed to other telcos globally that normally charge higher rates for prepaid users.

Earlier this month, Progresif continued by announcing the launch of full-service roaming for all its prepaid customers, giving roamers to have access to data, text and voice calls in Malaysia.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-free-data-for-new-prepaid-sim-subscribers/feed/0Progresif Strengthens retail network with the reopening of Tutong storehttps://progresif.com/progresif-strengthens-retail-network-with-the-reopening-of-tutong-store/
https://progresif.com/progresif-strengthens-retail-network-with-the-reopening-of-tutong-store/#respondTue, 06 Jun 2017 09:02:03 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1434Progresif Cellular unveiled its newly renovated Tutong branch today, further reinforcing its retail network and capacity to serve a growing customers base in Brunei’s third largest district. The Tutong store, which is located at Petani Mall, has been renovated as … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular unveiled its newly renovated Tutong branch today, further reinforcing its retail network and capacity to serve a growing customers base in Brunei’s third largest district.

The Tutong store, which is located at Petani Mall, has been renovated as a modern reflection of the Progresif brand. Renovation works for the store took a few months to be completed to ensure that the store’s overall design and look aligns with a progressive retail experience.

The store’s launch was officiated by the Guest of Honour Edzwan Zukri Pehin Dato Adanan, Board Member of Progresif.

Also present during the event was Tutong District Officer Shamsul Bahrain Hussein, Legislative Council representative for Tutong YB Hj Abd Wahab Hj Apong and Ade Nurismah Azurine Hj Ismail in her capacity as Chairman of the Tutong Municipal Department.

The event started with the recital of prayers followed by welcoming remarks by Paul Taylor, the new Chief Executive Officer of Progresif.

In his speech, Paul stated “We believe that quality of service is at the centre of what we do and providing the best customer service is one way we differentiate ourselves. In keeping with this critical theme, our flagship stores are built to offer a unique experience through a consultative approach, catering to the needs of our customers.”

Bob Gill, Chief Sales Officer of Progresif, stated “We are delighted to re-open our new retail experience store in Tutong, which is completely different to what we had before. Now, our customers can touch, feel and experience the latest technology in mobile handsets and tablets we have on offer. Our store team are also readily available to advise and recommend on which solutions best fits the customer needs.”

Hafiza Mohamad, Corporate Communications Manager or Progresif, explained “The Progresif brand is all about constant improvement and progress. The company has grown so much in the last two years. Now, we’re happy to solidify our presence in Tutong with the refurbished store so that our customers can get a fresh perspective on the Progresif brand.”

The guests were also treated to a brief tour of the new Progresif branch which was facilitated by Bob Gill.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-strengthens-retail-network-with-the-reopening-of-tutong-store/feed/0Progresif announces new CEOhttps://progresif.com/progresif-announces-new-ceo/
https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-new-ceo/#respondMon, 05 Jun 2017 08:41:53 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1414Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd announced today that it has appointed Paul Taylor as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Paul is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications sector. He has held senior positions in … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd announced today that it has appointed Paul Taylor as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Paul is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications sector. He has held senior positions in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Asia during his career. Paul is a British national and began his career in the industry in the 1980s at British Telecom International.

Immediately prior to taking the position in Brunei, he was the Managing Director of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTCL) where he helped grow revenue by over 50 per cent and subsequently led the company’s initial public offering on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

Paul has placed customer experience improvements as the key priority under his leadership at Progresif.

“I can see that considerable progress has been made at the company and I would like to thank the management and staff for their hard work, and the board for their unstinting support,” he said.

“Overall, the year 2016/17 was very good for the company in terms of growth. I will continue to build on the good work that has been done to ensure that our service continues to expand and improve.”

“I am looking forward to further tapping into the pool of innovation which will bring better value for our customers and facilitate both the development of the economy and growth in new jobs. On that note, I would also like to thank our customers for their support and trust in us and for believing in the Progresif brand story.”

“Progresif has earmarked significant funds this year to further enhance its service capability countrywide. We will therefore continue to deliver innovative products and services as well as provide an enhanced level of customer service so that our customers can enjoy a complete progressive experience,” he said.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-new-ceo/feed/0Cultivate Bistro to open at Progresif Headquartershttps://progresif.com/cultivate-bistro-to-open-at-progresif-headquarters/
https://progresif.com/cultivate-bistro-to-open-at-progresif-headquarters/#respondMon, 05 Jun 2017 08:23:50 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1405Progresif Cellular has announced Cultivate Bistro, a new local café, as the first business to set up at its branch Progresif Headquarters in Gadong. Cultivate is not just any regular café. As a local food business, Cultivate seeks to help … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular has announced Cultivate Bistro, a new local café, as the first business to set up at its branch Progresif Headquarters in Gadong.

Cultivate is not just any regular café. As a local food business, Cultivate seeks to help other micro, small and medium food companies discover their own potential and explore possibilities for business within the confines of a cultural and community hub that is Progresif headquarters.

At the same time, Cultivate will run a full fledged kitchen with an enticing menu, serving both local and western cuisine.

Afizah Sim, manager of Cultivate Bistro, stated “At Cultivate, we seek to bring a dining experience to customers that wish to enjoy comfort food in a relaxed environment.”

“At the same time, we want to provide a platform for home based food businesses by giving them an opportunity to use Cultivate as a space for a few months to give them a glimpse of what it’s like to run a food and beverage establishment.”

“By doing so, they can explore and learn about the many ways they could get their own businesses to grow out of their homes.”

“If these businesses feel ready to establish their own branch, they would be better equipped with real world knowledge having gone through the experimental period. Otherwise, they could also return and use our infrastructure if they need to build more exposure,” she said.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that Cultivate’s presence at Progresif HQ will reinforce the company’s commitment to support the development of local entrepreneurship.

“We’re pleased to have Cultivate establish their branch at the Progresif HQ. We look forward to seeing them in action as they work on helping small local businesses develop further. Cultivate’s presence at headquarters is aligned with our objectives for the headquarters; to become a cultural and entrepreneurial hub for the local community,” he said.

As an added feature to the business, patrons of Cultivate will get the chance to see live broadcast sessions brought by the talented DJs on Progresif Radio.

Progresif headquarters seeks to become a central hub for all local cultural and entrepreneurial activities.

The support for creative talents and local entrepreneurs will ultimately help stimulate the creative scene which can become an engine of growth for the local economy.

]]>https://progresif.com/cultivate-bistro-to-open-at-progresif-headquarters/feed/0Imagination on Taphttps://progresif.com/imagination-on-tap/
https://progresif.com/imagination-on-tap/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:42:46 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=327Fortune favours the bold. Maybe. If you want to hone in your imaginative abilities, these tips are gonna need you to be brave and humble. Cos we’re throwing down a mission that, if you choose to accept, will need you … Continue reading →

If you want to hone in your imaginative abilities, these tips are gonna need you to be brave and humble. Cos we’re throwing down a mission that, if you choose to accept, will need you to put down what you think you know and start with the spirit of a complete beginner. You can try this for a week, a month, or every day for 2017. You won’t become an ideas wizard overnight but the longer you keep it up, the more likely you’ll experience changes. Ready? Here goes.

1.

First thing in the morning, declare a war on the unimaginative! Out loud (so as not to scare other residents, screaming into a pillow is completely acceptable). Visualise yourself as someone full of weird and wonderful ideas walking through a day where anything can happen.

2.

Find one friend who is crazy talented (or discover what your closest friends are obsessed with mastering). It could be at anything: reciting the alphabet backwards, flame throwing or writing code. Catch their enthusiasm. Slowly build up a circle of talented individuals and hang out with them. You are, as they say, the sum of five people you spend most time with.

3.

Learn something new, especially if it makes you feel creative. Don’t be a passive consumer, either – make sure you get to use your hands, get involved and be exposed to new people and new experiences. The less comfortable the better (exiting the comfort zone is always a little, uh, uncomfortable at the start).

4.

Start an ideas and questions book. Hardcover, if possible. Write down every idea you have, and every question you hear (or doodle them). Use crayons, stickers, or go monochrome. Mind you, glitter is nearly always a good idea.

5.

Look at things differently. Literally turn your head upside down, see from just one eye, or look at the problem graphically – change the font, splash it in colour or spell it out on the wall in post-it notes.

6.

Believe in six impossible things before breakfast.
Or at least one. Every day.

7.

Develop a flair for collaboration. Put yourself up for adoption in a team that’s working on something that interests you. In return, offer some of your skills, ability or network. Find people who are good at what they do and seek ways or create opportunities to work/play together.

8.

Go back and watch a movie you enjoyed as a kid, or pick up that book you used to read. Make a list of the things the movie or book inspired in you – the places you wanted to go to, the things you wanted to do. And then start checking things off the list. You don’t have to sing in front of an audience, but you can sign up for classes. If you wanted to fly to the moon, book a ticket to visit the planetarium. The possibilities are yours for the making.

]]>https://progresif.com/imagination-on-tap/feed/0The Surprising Key to Keeping Your Imagination Alivehttps://progresif.com/the-surprising-key-to-keeping-your-imagination-alive/
https://progresif.com/the-surprising-key-to-keeping-your-imagination-alive/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:22:30 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=273Kids are fun. You could ask them anything and they’d reply you back with a hundred beautiful answers. Just by using their imagination, kids think up whole universes and worlds, connect the dots, explain the weird, and become eager to … Continue reading →

]]>Kids are fun. You could ask them anything and they’d reply you back with a hundred beautiful answers.

Just by using their imagination, kids think up whole universes and worlds, connect the dots, explain the weird, and become eager to try out different things to see if what they’ve imagined in their minds will work in real life – or will be as fun.
As time passes, we get savvier and learn from our mistakes – which is good. Knowing stuff solves mysteries. The ‘way things are’ may seem like it’s set in store, but because of all the life lessons we’ve gained, it creates a shortcut in our brains, which makes sense of the world. And frankly, it’s a pretty efficient way to live. Sadly, in some cases, we do this too well and knowledge draws a square box around our imagination, then we hit what you would call a ‘rut’.
Some might say the older we get, the less we imagine. A few of us, though, feel that we imagine even more with age. Why is that?

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In one word: dare.

When we were younger we used to reject nothing, absorb everything, were curious always, and had this genuine trust in endless possibilities – whether a thing was true or not, we were able to take it, try it, break it and discover for ourselves. Life was thrilling and it felt good – age is just a number, and to be honest, we can still do what we believe in.

It’s somewhat become a little too easy to learn, too. Anything we want to know is a click and clever keyword away. We don’t need to anticipate or experiment as much.

Add to that, the times along the way that we got hurt, were told off or advised to pick and stick to one ‘best way’ by well-meaning people who don’t really understand where you stand. Past all the smoke and mirrors, we become more reliant on our gut-logic because it’s more effective and, by now, logic is way much easier to explain and live with.

But if we can remain daring, continue to believe in possibilities, stay interested and keep that desire to try things out whatever the outcome, we can build the resilience to explore and experiment even when things don’t work out the way we planned – only then will we continue to want to solve in new ways and share our creations with the world (think of innocent little kids rushing to show you what they’ve made – full of pride, happiness and satisfaction).

The fact of the matter is: we’ve got to revive that innate ability. There’s a lot of free information out there. Anything you want to learn about may be on YouTube, Google or that old book full of wisdom lying around your house. When you can use your imagination to relate different information in new ways, and then do something about it, you’ve got an edge. It’s like making something out of nothing – and that’s the best feeling ever.

There is no age to imagination

We can use information and knee scrapes as a springboard to learn to see beyond knowledge, problems or interests. Remember how children could accept new information and be more open to change? Imagination is what completes the picture – action is what makes it tangible. There is no age to imagination. There is so much trapped potential in information. Adding childlike innocence is like pouring awesome sauce on real life. Now, doesn’t the sound of that make you hungry?

]]>https://progresif.com/the-surprising-key-to-keeping-your-imagination-alive/feed/0Asia Pacific Rain Forest Summit 2016https://progresif.com/asia-pacific-rain-forest-summit-2016/
https://progresif.com/asia-pacific-rain-forest-summit-2016/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:08:55 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=267Rainforests play an important role in maintaining the earth’s well-being and with more than half of Brunei covered with rainforest, Brunei saw a need for forest management and to hold a three-day summit. The Asia Pacific Rainforest Conference, which was … Continue reading →

]]>Rainforests play an important role in maintaining the earth’s well-being and with more than half of Brunei covered with rainforest, Brunei saw a need for forest management and to hold a three-day summit. The Asia Pacific Rainforest Conference, which was attended by more than 300 stakeholders including world-class experts, and participants from public and private organizations as well as non-governmental organizations from the Asia Pacific Region convened.

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A lot of the community livelihood in the Asia Pacific region is derived from the rainforests and over the years it has boosted their economic development but had dire effect to the rainforests, which is a huge challenge.

The three-day conference tackled issues such as actions to reduce forest loss, act on climate change and adapting to the climate changes while also balancing the development aspiration of the region. It was also agreed during the conference that private and public roles in maintaining sustainable forests and landscape are critical issues.

Progresif supported the conference as we have always valued the environment because this is what we are going to leave for the future generations to live in, and any actions taken to manage its well being is vital just like the saying “the seeds that we sow today determine the kind of fruit we’ll reap tomorrow”.

Dato Ali Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.

The summit took place from 3rd to 5th August last year and was hosted by the Government of Brunei Darussalam and supported by the Australian Government as the coordinating partner and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) as the science and engagement partner.

]]>https://progresif.com/asia-pacific-rain-forest-summit-2016/feed/0Progresif Hero – Zainal Bostamanhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zainal-bostaman/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zainal-bostaman/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:05:48 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=272Does being funny make for a good comic? It’s a great start. What’s best is if you’re naturally funny and willing to work on the craft. For people who aren’t funny at all, is there hope? Yes, it’s a skill. … Continue reading →

What’s next?

Sit and write it in long form. I’m not trying to be funny; I wanna be detailed. Next, try it out with comedy-orientated friends for validation. Feedback builds up the joke. Then I place actual punchlines in it. Finally, I’ll test it out in public.

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Where do you get that?

In Brunei, we have an open mic night for Comedy, Poetry and Storytelling, calling that Spoken Word. I record my performance and listen to it afterwards. Anything that gets belly laughs is a winner, so I’ll expand on that one, test it out, get feedback, rewrite, repeat.It’s a pretty tedious process.

And painful! You and your friend think it’s funny. Once onstage, nobody laughs. It’s the worst thing ever. Sometimes there’s that one giggle, and you get super excited. It’s a sympathy laugh but you’ll take it! From that sentence, you come up with another. Eventually you have a five-minute comedy set of all funny sentences.

you’re progressive if you can go deeper, working with things that look mundane or neutral.

You also do improv. Is the process the same?

Improv comedy is more team-based. You rely on your fellow players. You all go on stage, get prompts and do a scene. Hopefully it’ll be funny, but you never know. What makes it work?
There are basic rules. First, say yes. If someone comes up to you and says, “Hey, here’s a cake”, to say yes means like saying, “Oh, thank you”. You agree there’s a cake.
It takes imagination and being in tune with each other. Any other rules?

Make the other person look good. Otherwise, it quickly becomes a competition. But if you agree, everyone’s gonna look good and be better together.

Bruhaha event

The processes for improv and stand-up are quite different! You’re not alone and there’s no script. How do you prepare for a show?

We play the games and try to get on the same page with each other so when someone says something, you’ll know where the story’s leading towards. However, no act’s the same. One starting scenario can go down a million possible routes. For both comedy types, though, don’t take things personally cause that’s hard for the soul.

Gotcha. Lastly, what does being progressive mean to you?

In the context of comedy, being progressive means both moving forwards by pushing boundaries and taking a step back, respecting the known forms of comedy and revisiting them, to bring them back to today. Content-wise, you’re progressive if you can go deeper, working with things that look mundane or neutral. Traffic. Washing machines. I’ve yet to write a joke about washing machines. Another level is when you turn things that are naturally depressing, dark, and even tragic into comedic material. That’s looking at human nature and making it funny. Now you’ve progressed.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-zainal-bostaman/feed/0Progresif Hero – MixMediaWorxhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mixmediaworx/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mixmediaworx/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:05:45 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=270NJ, you’re the Creative Director of MixMediaWorx (MMW), which is part of MixMedia Group. What’s MMW in a nutshell? NJ: We’ve always been a creative agency, although we did offer specialised services before through different entities. MMW started with you, … Continue reading →

]]>NJ, you’re the Creative Director of MixMediaWorx (MMW), which is part of MixMedia Group. What’s MMW in a nutshell?

NJ: We’ve always been a creative agency, although we did offer specialised services before through different entities.

RBN Anniversary Book

MMW started with you, though, Azlan. Now you’re Head of the MixMedia Group. At the start, was it just you?

Azlan: I’d been working as a designer for different industries when I finally struck out on my own. It was painful! Things like the back office stuff, and the actual running of a business, were new to me. I needed help, which meant hiring people. So eight years back, Creativa was born. We started with four people. Growth was slow, limited by our running costs. We had to get investors in. That’s how MixMediaWorx Sdn Bhd came about. We started to hire more people and were able to invest in assets and new businesses. NJ came in after the second year.

Tell us how the business evolved.

Azlan: We’ve rebranded to MMW. MixMedia started first, and it was all about design and advertising. Then when our clients asked for help with their websites we created MixMedia Interactive, MINT. We used to have a division dealing with videography, called MAGIC, and international projects, called Catalyst. But they’re independent now. Four years back, we helped to set up BHC magazine, a Butra Heidelberg Cement initiative.

Then, two years ago, we started Mixel, which is our digital advertising division with the idea to build sustainability into the business. Now we also have a Social Media division, too, called Hashtag. I believe we have set a standard in the company whereby we have conviction over our ideas. Being a small company, it’s been a big journey.

NJ: It’s a new culture and feel. We’ve unified everything – MINT, MIXEL, Hashtag and BHC Magazine – coming together at this new office in KHub. So, now we go out together as one agency.

Social media and digital is the way to go.

What’s trending now?

Social media and digital is the way to go. Digital advertising takes a lot of investment but we have the foundation already. We have programmers, copywriters, creatives who can create the content. Recently, we were awarded a project to put together a digital experience at the airport. It’ll be a good challenge.

BHC Magazine

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How do you keep it fresh?

Azlan: Yes, how? (laughs)

NJ: Do NOT follow a routine. Do things you don’t normally do even if you think it’s uncomfortable or even impossible. And do something that makes you happy, gets your energy going. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and consider different scenarios.

Where are you headed from here?

Creative Services is still our core. Today, the team is more capable and resilient; whatever project comes our way, we can do. Moving forwards, imagine MMW offices in KL, Jakarta and other cities.

Sounds exciting! To end, what does progressive mean to you?

Azlan: Consider more than one side; building up the team comes together with educating the market. When you have demand but you cannot supply, there’s no progress. And of course, build your capability and your confidence. That leads to conviction and helps uplift the market.

NJ: For me it goes back to doing something uncomfortable. It’s only when you are uncomfortable that you tend to approach a thing differently, solve differently, produce new ideas. Don’t settle for same.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mixmediaworx/feed/0Progresif launches first full service Prepaid Roaming in Bruneihttps://progresif.com/progresif-launches-first-full-service-prepaid-roaming-in-brunei/
https://progresif.com/progresif-launches-first-full-service-prepaid-roaming-in-brunei/#respondThu, 01 Jun 2017 08:26:52 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1408Progresif Cellular today announced the launch of full service roaming for all their prepaid customers, allowing roamers to have access to data, text and voice calls in Malaysia. Prepaid customers can now make direct calls and texts in Malaysia and … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular today announced the launch of full service roaming for all their prepaid customers, allowing roamers to have access to data, text and voice calls in Malaysia.

Prepaid customers can now make direct calls and texts in Malaysia and use data to browse the internet and social media, giving them the Freedom to do More.

With prepaid roaming, customers can now roam on the Digi or Celcom mobile networks, at preferred rates, without having to use callback services or having to swap SIM cards.

Hafiza Mohamad, Corporate Communications Manager at Progresif, said that this new development gives prepaid customers the convenience that they need when they are travelling to their favourite Malaysian destination.

“This is just one of the ways that we are simplifying communication for our customers. By having prepaid roaming available in Malaysia, our customers can enjoy using communication services with more convenience,” she said.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that the company is on a constant mission to make communications simple by introducing innovative products and services that are easily understood by customers.

“The introduction of prepaid roaming takes us one step further to removing the differences between postpaid and prepaid services, and by doing so, it gives customers the time and freedom to do more.”

“Starting today, Progresif prepaid customers can use data, make calls and send texts while roaming with our partners Digi and Celcom in Malaysia. This is a first for Brunei so we’re happy to make this happen at Progresif,” he said.

Currently, prepaid roaming is applicable for Malaysia and will be rolled out to cover the more than 100 destinations where Progresif has roaming partners around the world.

The pricing is available at www.progresif.com and is similar to the simple flat rate approach of Progresif’s domestic plans where customers pay simple flat rates for data, text and calls.

As the service is available to all prepaid customers, users that live close to bordering Malaysian towns or are travelling by boat may want to turn off data roaming to avoid unwanted charges.

For any enquiries on prepaid roaming, call 177 or visit us online at www.progresif.com to find out more information.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-launches-first-full-service-prepaid-roaming-in-brunei/feed/0Heart Writehttps://progresif.com/heart-write/
https://progresif.com/heart-write/#respondTue, 30 May 2017 07:48:33 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=244Who is Heartwrite? Two writers telling and writing stories for other people and ourselves. Our core is communications, which to us means connection – products, concepts, communities and causes. We just published a kid’s book, so for now we look … Continue reading →

Two writers telling and writing stories for other people and ourselves. Our core is communications, which to us means connection – products, concepts, communities and causes. We just published a kid’s book, so for now we look like an indie publisher.

What was or is your challenge in doing this kind of business?

It’s breaking that convention of what is a job, what is work and what is a career, and being taken seriously as business owners. Eyes used to glaze over when we say we’re working, because they see us out here in a café or the beach or anywhere, really. It’s suspicious! That 70% of the time our work entails staring into space didn’t help! Creatives can relate to that. It’s not that we intentionally set out to be unconventional. We found ourselves not walking the traditional path of life here. Having said that, a traditional bank account is helpful. Planning helps, occasionally. We don’t reject convention, we just do us. Sometimes that’s within the norm and other times not.

Co-writers at Heartwrite, Ying and Huwaida

Tell us more about the book.

It’s a kid’s book in French titled, «Qu’est-ce qui est plus grand ?» which means, ‘What’s bigger?’ The story is set in Brunei. Being in a foreign language, it will travel! It’s also really a labour of love. From start to finish – writing, illustration, art direction, production – it’s an artisanal process. Every copy is handmade, so production’s limited. Normally in business you begin with stuff that makes money. We did things in reverse, doing pet projects first, which is pretty cool.

Spread from “Qu’est-ce qui est plus GRAND”

What was the experience like?

It’s really gratifying to work with others, especially those in the creative community. The illustrator, Cristina Nance, broke out of her usual artistry to make the story come alive. We consulted with the printer, Karl, on paper types and cover textures. Friends on holiday are helping us deliver to international customers. We’re still in the experience and it’s far from being a solo creative endeavour which a lot of people think writing is.

Is what you are doing contributing to Brunei’s Vision 2035?

We didn’t set out to do that. What we do is a motley of what feels right, what we like and what we can imagine doing. There are people who want to have writing as a career. Seeing us step into it hopefully shows them that it can be done their way.

You are two different people. How does that work?

Friends and partners are two different sets of roles and our personalities do contrast. As we’re two passionate people, we can have strong feelings about things. We manage to work it out. Once business talk is out of the way, though, we’re back to being friends. We’re united by our ideals, which are similar, even if our ideas are not. That’s why it works. If we’re the same, what’s the point?

Is that what being progressive means to you?

Ying: It’s being unafraid to follow that little voice inside your head and heart, to believe that you can do it, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. Just keep going, improving and working at it.

Huwaida: Being progressive is about trusting the essentials. Anything we do, we do it with and through people so we need to collaborate and connect authentically with others. The essentials like goodness, openness, kindness and respect never go out of fashion because they work.

]]>https://progresif.com/heart-write/feed/0Faiq Airudinhttps://progresif.com/faiq-airudin/
https://progresif.com/faiq-airudin/#respondTue, 30 May 2017 07:20:51 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=234Can I just get you to introduce yourself very quickly; your name, your age and what you do, thanks! Hi, I’m Faiq Airudin. I’m 28 and I shoot still videos. I believe you’re quite well-known in terms of the type … Continue reading →

]]>Can I just get you to introduce yourself very quickly; your name, your age and what you do, thanks!

Hi, I’m Faiq Airudin. I’m 28 and I shoot still videos.

I believe you’re quite well-known in terms of the type of content you produce for your Instagram. I want to ask you, where does the inspiration for that come from and do you have a particular favourite thing that you produce?

I think, in terms of online content, it’s mostly things that I would wanna see. I browse Instagram, online blogs, just looking at what is interesting to a local Brunei audience. For me it’s just sharing any kind of moment, any kind of ideas and looking at it from a different angle. I think that’s the type of thing that I like to see online. I think ‘being creative’ is trying to solve a problem in the best way possible. Say, you wanna show the best places to eat, for example. There’s different ways of approaching it. When these things were [being made] at school, you’re kind of doing videos with your friends and you’re just playing around. My main thing was just sharing it among a group of friends. But I think, as you progress, that need to share something that’s interesting kinda grows and your audience grows with it.

The other concept or the other side of creativity is imagination. What does that mean to you? As a concept, do you think it’s something that is pretty open here or do you feel like there needs to be something done to build more creative spark?

I think for me the imagination aspect of it is just looking at [solution] of different ways, I think maybe that’s my sense of imagination. It’s like you’re always looking for possibilities outside this normal way that you view it. There’s a lot of people that have imagination and they approach their own subject or their own design field in a nice, creative way. Say perhaps you work in architecture and you know somebody that works in fashion. It’s a matter of doing collaboration and I think that’s where that sense of imagination needs to develop more.

I’m assuming you studied overseas? So, is that where the motivation to showcase Brunei stems from?

Do you see that not many people know about Brunei or the cultural aspects of it as much as they might know about other places like Malaysia or Singapore. I think, yea, I think the desire is maybe sparking from me being overseas and wanting to see these things but I think also looking at different areas, different fields, different photographers and videographers. They have a certain voice but they are still… it’s still a case of pushing that voice outside or moving that voice to a wider audience. I personally think that, we’re still as creative people trying to find our voice. As developed as we are there’s still a case of us kind of looking within ourselves to find something that’s really Bruneian that we can share. I don’t think it’s like a case of, you know, this is the best that we can do. There’s still time to grow, we’re still young.

So in about twenty or thirty years time when we hit 2035, where would you like Brunei to be in terms of the creative arts industry or film and photography?

I think in 2035 that we have a greater sense of importance of all aspects of art, I think in terms of say, design or fashion and or in terms of illustration; people making pottery, for example, there’s a case of how we value each of them and we know where it fits into our lives more. So, what I would want to see at that time is that I would be able to go to a shop and buy a local picture and get local painting somewhere, get my video done locally. But in terms of local creative things, there should be more variety and exploration of other design fields, so, maybe we’ll see a furniture maker, or a board game maker in the future. I think those other design aspects are not explored yet. We’re used to thinking of design as somebody who does graphic design or somebody who can take pictures, but I think design and creativity, there’s so many different things. The field is so huge there’s [so much] that still has yet to be explored.

But if we’re talking about industry, there has to be a market to support. One of the things we hear a lot is that, Brunei’s market is so small (which is true, we’re a tiny country) and we have a very limited capacity in terms of that. So, what are your thoughts on the economics/contrast of market size?

I mean, it’s odd, I think that argument is odd because in the case of new food places coming up… So I think any market can be created. The need to say, for design, work has to be created. For example how they use T-shirts in terms of design; that has been a real outlet for graphic designers in Brunei to create and share their work and that was only created in the last five years, so, yea, I think you do see growth. There’s always an appetite for Bruneians to consume local things. I don’t think that should be thought of as a hindrance to your creativity like, ‘Oh there’s no market for me to create’.

]]>https://progresif.com/faiq-airudin/feed/0Haji Osman and Osveannehttps://progresif.com/haji-osman-and-osveanne/
https://progresif.com/haji-osman-and-osveanne/#respondTue, 30 May 2017 06:22:52 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=218Hi guys! Can you tell me a little bit about who you are? Hj Osman: My name is Haji Osman Bin Mohammad. I’ve been doing art since I was small. I started with drawing comics, that’s my inspiration actually and … Continue reading →

Hj Osman: My name is Haji Osman Bin Mohammad. I’ve been doing art since I was small. I started with drawing comics, that’s my inspiration actually and how I materialized my drawing skills. I used to look at comics and then I make my own stories, and do the drawings [for them]. Every day, my colleagues would be waiting for them (smiles). I can express myself through comics… Until now, I still do my art as part of my life.

Osveanne: Hi, my name is Osveanne Osman. I’m 27 years old and I am the manager and curator at the Creative Space Art Gallery. I’m a self taught artist, and then I pursued an education in the arts. That came a bit later around A Levels that I decided I would actually like to do art which was pretty late and actually pretty difficult to get into the art scene. But I was very fortunate to have met one of the teachers who saw my portfolio and said ‘Well you actually have potential’ so from there I studied art, the background of it, the history and then it sort of became a mixture of what I learnt myself with boundless imagination and mixed with what I learnt- a lot of history and background. You come up with some pretty interesting processes putting those two together.

You run the Creative Space gallery with your daughter. When did you actually start it and why?

Hj Osman: When I retired, I ‘d been in the media for more than 30 years and I’d been working as a professional graphic designer. I wanted to continue with my art. During my career time, I used to do painting, art and sculpture, all sort of things, and also do some graphic work. This gallery was established in 2013 so I had a place to continue my art, and during that time I was also asked to teach art as an adjunct lecturer there.

The space was not totally maximized so what I did was I turned it into a gallery so other people could use it too. Since then, it has been used for exhibitions, gatherings, workshops, all sorts of things. we do a lot of things here. We also have the Emerge Project going on so we can showcase, and provide a platform for young artists.

How do you guys compromise on your creative differences, working and running the gallery with your daughter?

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Hj Osman: Of course the differences are always there. I’ve been in the creative world for 30 years. Usually, most of creative people are very proud about their work, their artwork and design solutions. That’s where sometimes we clash with other creative people as well. The experiences I have had, have given me a perspective on how to deal with differences.

Osveanne: That’s kind of talking about synergy. First of all, business is business so you maintain very professional roles. So I’m the manager and curator, but I don’t always curate. The creative director oversees what I do so we do come to areas where there is discussion about whether this is the right path to take and it takes both parties to really sit down and see if I’m listening to you correctly or am I misinterpreting something. So communication is very important because at the end of the day we have to remember that we’re working towards one direction therefore we could be talking about the same thing the whole time but using different words and understanding it differently because of that generation gap. The main challenge is really to be open and also listen because him being my father there is still a different role that I play which is a daughter. So you really have to extract yourself from that separate role to be able to find a different level of communication.

So, would you say that there is a big or is there an obvious difference between you two in the way you creatively aspire? Like, is there an old versus new kind of mentality.

Hj Osman: Not really. The opportunity depends on how you look at it. Is it a problem or is it an opportunity for you to explore something new? You have to have an open mind, to look at things, because art or design is not something … [where] every solution you provide is correct. There is no right and wrong. You are providing new ideas and new solutions. So you always look at the best [one] given. This is the best approach you can use in order to achieve your project or your product. Of course, there are a lot of factors and variables that you need to consider, one is time. Second is the resources you have. The third is your audience. For example, when doing the Emerge Project, we’re looking at who is our audience and who are our participants. Along the way, even though you have beautiful plans there’s always variables affecting, so you need to adapt.

Progressive as in the term… I think it’s something for us to look forward. It’s always infinite and there’s always opportunity. – Hj Osman

After these years of experience, I’ve learned that you need to adapt and see. People give you ideas. If it’s good, we can try it. Sometime along the way, it seems to be a good idea and when we try to implement it, there are few factors that come up and you need to change. Because we are not the only ones we have to think about- we need to think about our client, our audience, our team and the environment, and if you’re working with other people as well, the stakeholders.

Osveanne: I would say it’s the process of how we go about things but definitely the one intention remains the same? Especially for all artists here in Brunei, is that we want to create a stable environment for artists to practise in. Those are my aspirations for art here in Brunei because I’m a local artist. The difference is [also] in the generation gap; he will present work that perhaps looks different because of the experience he received, the art trends and the way he was trained in art. Whereas I would respond to something identical, very differently. I would use mixed media, I would use a lot of technology and that’s really the difference- the process in which we approach it.

What attracted you to doing art?

Hj Osman: Art is to express what I see in all the things happening around, whether you hear it or see it, or you’re going to express or make a statement in your art. Whether it’s a landscape or abstract piece. Just like we see all the paintings that were done over the years, those have become historical pieces that people can refer to.

Art, I believe, is something that records the contemporary times like the way people look at civilizations past- all those things are reflected through their artifacts, architecture, all the remains of the great works of art. I get inspired even looking at the trees; how the leaves move, the tree branches sway, moving in rhythm, all those things can inspire an artist, actually.

Osveanne: That’s very good question, because honestly not for a very long time was I ever interested in doing art, In fact I used to be quite … I had a disdain for it [laughing] because everyone knew my dad was an artist so in school they would like ‘Come on, I know you can paint this!’ and I would be like ‘It’s not genetic, it doesn’t work that way’. But it wasn’t until one day I was hovering over my dad’s shoulder while he was doing a watercolor painting and it was like magic, it really was like magic how it was just an empty piece of paper and suddenly there’s colors, shapes and a landscape. I was like ‘Wow, that’s possible. You can make something out of nothing’ and I guess it goes with all things but just watching my dad paint that one time was what really inspired me to take art very seriously.

What was it like being a creative person in your generation? Was it difficult? Or was it easier to be a creative person, to be openly creative, compared to now?

Hj Osman: I think, yes and no. When I design, I solve problems. Whether it is interior, a graphic, visual communication, or product design, so those are more towards technical and problem solving, issues you need to address using aesthetic. I think everybody needs to be creative, even solving management problems. ‘Creative’ means, you are coming up with a solution that is something different, is not conventional and very difficult for people to accept. So that’s what creativity is. Over time, some people do think about it and accept it as something genius. To me, I’m both a designer and an artist so inspiration is very very important to me, to enhance my creativity.

Osveanne: I would say it’s a bit of of both? I can’t say it’s easier now because I wasn’t here before to be able to compare in that sense but I will touch upon what makes it easy and what makes it hard here. So how it’s easy here- we’re in the age of technology , we have so many different platforms to share our work on and we also have so many people to share our work for us. So we’re reaching a wider audience and that’s how it’s easier.

What progressive means to me is.. Moving forward. And it’s very important to move forward. – Osveanne

In terms of creating works even we have so much new tech like laser cutting, 3D printing and the drawback to that is that we’re kind of losing a lot of old technology.

We can explore more now, that’s what makes it easier for an artist in the modern day. What doesn’t make it easy is exactly everything I just said because in a sense we kinda become complacent? Especially if you rely on technology too much, where we’re losing the hands on ability to do due process with what we are making therefore I always gravitate more towards art that are really in its literal and metaphorical sense, handmade and bespoke. There’s merit in digital art as well without giving it any smack but personally I really gravitate towards something that really has the artist’s touch.

Where does most of your inspiration come from? Is there anything that you do to keep yourself fresh creatively?

Hj Osman: Actually, the environment, people and what’s happening around you, are the things that inspire me. As a designer, when I look at a problem people are facing, I try to solve it by coming up with a design solution. Like other cultures, for example.

Osveanne: Yes. Other cultures or maybe you read something. So much material out there…I mean this is a powerful world today where we can get information with the click of a finger. Those things can inspire people, just to, either to provide solutions or to express yourself in your art.

Earth Trek Borneo: The Terraformation Series Exhibition

What about you Osveanne, what inspires you?

Osveanne: I would definitely say that inspiration is everywhere; where you wanna see it really. I would say that for me I get a lot of inspiration from literature, things that I read or even see in memes for example these days [laughs]. That’s pop culture, arts… but visually I get a lot of inspiration through nature and I also get a lot of inspiration from other artists. We’re so exposed nowadays to seeing what people do all over the world so I draw inspiration from mediums and media, visual inspiration that we’re not exposed to here in Brunei. I would say the old classics, what I learned in uni for example, Mondrian, the impressionism of Monet and stuff like that. Those actually really inspire me because of the context and the content of their art. Not so much the visuals; the visuals are the aesthetic that come with the conceptualization so for me I guess, my inspiration really comes from conceptualizing what other people see, read, hear. How they process the thought process and how they bring it all together, and represent it in something that they do.

Do both of you have any tips for getting out of a creative mental block?

Osveanne: Anybody who says they don’t get mental blocks is probably lying [laughs]. I definitely do get them and the best way is to really just embrace it and not focus on ‘oh my goodness I’m having a mental block’ but rather start asking yourself why you’re having that block. And then from ‘why’ just keep on asking more questions. You have to kind of revel in it? Because from those stresses you’ll find you start putting out some pretty good work. I find that most of my best work comes out when I have that kind of pressure, that kind of stimulation of being under pressure.

Hj Osman: Usually we do come to a point where we have [this problem] especially when you try to design something. What we can do usually is to stop working, try to relax a bit, go and see around you and try to look at it again in a fresh way, maybe there are some alternative solutions you can use to approach the problem you’re trying to solve. The problem is, it is easier said than done! Usually when we are caught in a situation, we’ve been working to provide a solution whether it is an art project or design project and you’re already held down by the things you have done so you don’t want to abandon it. But it’s good to be brave and try to approach it with a different angle or perspective.

]]>https://progresif.com/haji-osman-and-osveanne/feed/0Progresif reaches out to the regional market at Communicasia 2017https://progresif.com/progresif-reaches-out-to-the-regional-market-at-communicasia-2017/
https://progresif.com/progresif-reaches-out-to-the-regional-market-at-communicasia-2017/#respondTue, 23 May 2017 08:42:52 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1416Progresif Cellular is strengthening its brand presence in the region and paving the way for future regional opportunities in its first participation at CommunicAsia2017 in Singapore. CommunicAsia is a premier ICT sourcing and knowledge platform in the region. The three-day … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular is strengthening its brand presence in the region and paving the way for future regional opportunities in its first participation at CommunicAsia2017 in Singapore.

CommunicAsia is a premier ICT sourcing and knowledge platform in the region. The three-day event features a comprehensive display of cutting-edge technologies to ensure that businesses in Asia and beyond stay updated and ready to tackle consumer demands in the modern economy.

At the event in Marina Bay Sands, Progresif will be introducing Progresif Solutions, the company’s new enterprise offering which features the latest line of flexible and affordable business solutions, to the regional market.

Radi El Fassed, Head of Product Development at Progresif, said that the event acts as a stage for Progresif to market enterprise solutions and connect with other industry players throughout the region.

“We’ve delivered innovation on many fronts for the local market. Now, we want to position ourselves in the region so that we can promote cost-effective and quick-to-deploy solutions that add real value to help companies achieve their business goals,” he said.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that Progresif Solutions stems from a desire to expand the company’s product and service offerings beyond retail mobile communications and into the enterprise sector.

He stated “With Progresif Solutions, our ICT experts and partners work together with businesses to design and install solutions based on their needs. This synergy enables us to understand the communication needs of businesses which differ depending on industry and stages of growth. Ultimately, companies are able to achieve cost savings while having the freedom to do more.”

Even as Progresif has leapt into the enterprise arena, the company has maintained its momentum in support for local startups and innovation.
Last month, Progresif launched its own Startup Lab and announced Dart Logistics Sdn Bhd as the first company to join the lab.

The startup went on to unveil the DART app, Brunei’s first ride booking service, at Progresif Headquarters where the event was extensively covered by local media. The app proved to be a hit with over 4,000 downloads so far.

The Startup Lab is the latest initiative by Progresif to support the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in Brunei which is one of the company’s pillars for corporate social responsibility.

At CommunicAsia, Progresif will also be looking to network with potential partners to collaborate with the Startup Lab to enable it to grow into a dynamic platform where startups will be able to grow and thrive in a competitive business environment.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-reaches-out-to-the-regional-market-at-communicasia-2017/feed/0Bruneian Overseas: Keeran Janinhttps://progresif.com/408/
https://progresif.com/408/#respondSat, 06 May 2017 01:40:31 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=408Where In The World Are You (and what are you doing there!): Singapore, Switzerland mainly and all over the place designing watches, jewellery and tech to fill my spare time. How do you define being ‘creative’? Doing things differently for … Continue reading →

Singapore, Switzerland mainly and all over the place designing watches, jewellery and tech to fill my spare time.

How do you define being ‘creative’?

Doing things differently for the sake of it. Always take a moment to look at everything from a different angle or tackling the problem in a way contrary to conventional wisdom and being open to experimentation.

Imagination is…. the difference between boring and brilliant.

What drives your creative process and where does the inspiration for new ideas happen for you usually?

Usually I like to draw inspiration from the things I see around me – always keep your eyes open and look at nature, buildings and other designs – Whenever I see something that catches my eye I snap a photo and save it to my journal with a note on what it was and refer to it the next time I’m designing.

Who’s inspiring you big time right now in the watch/tech industry?

I’m a huge fan of independent watchmakers and designers. You’d be surprised at how many established big name brands actually get their designs made by indie designers.

The brand I like the most right now is H. Moser & Cie (they’re really making beautiful watches) and an indie designer Sebastien Perret who I’m really blessed to be working with on my watches.

What is the biggest influence Brunei has had on your collections/work?

From an early age being from Brunei I’ve had the unique opportunity to see first hand some of the world’s finest jewels and amazing watches, which was a great start, and with Brunei being so small it’s very easy to get your work seen and supported. There is so much support available if you’re hungry enough to chase it.

And nowadays when travelling around the world, saying “Hi, I’m a designer/app maker/entrepreneur from Brunei..” is such a unique opening line it helps so much in opening doors, getting noticed and meeting other creatives.

]]>https://progresif.com/408/feed/0Progresif Hero – Hakim Othmanhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hakim-othman/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hakim-othman/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 02:48:19 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=332Hi Hakim! Nice to meet you. Can you describe what is the concept of URBN Kitchen, in terms of your creativity or being creative? First off, I need to explain to you what Gourmet Consultant is. GC is a business … Continue reading →

]]>Hi Hakim! Nice to meet you. Can you describe what is the concept of URBN Kitchen, in terms of your creativity or being creative?

First off, I need to explain to you what Gourmet Consultant is. GC is a business I started which tries to help restaurants with their branding whether it is a new business that has just started or an existing one that’s already established. We started two years ago and while we already have our clients not everyone knows us, so that’s how URBN Kitchen came into play. [It’s] the flagship restaurant for Gourmet Consultant to show people just what we can do and to build that trust with them. In terms of creativity it basically comes from our knowledge and experiences when we were overseas in China, Switzerland, and my business partner who was working with me on this, was in Australia previously working at a few prominent hotels. Our mentors there showed us from scratch how to make a certain dish- from the taste to the flavor, to how it’s presented gets to the customers. So the aspect of creativity, that’s infinite honestly. It’s all in your imagination- you can dream about it but one way or another you just have to do it.

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So where does your inspiration usually come from? Are there particular people around you or that you’ve met who have had some impact on you?

Yes, one of them was my business partner; we met when we worked together at the Empire Hotel. He saw some quality in me that nobody else saw, how my brain thinks and how I communicate and talk about food so he enhanced and nurtured my skills in terms of how to describe food and what ingredients go together. The other person [who influences me creatively] is Heston Blumenthal. He’s more towards molecular gastronomy so he creates things that go from a simple dish to something extraordinary.
An example of this is his Iced Chocolate, which he’s actually made clear as water but once you drink it it’s a very intense chocolate taste. This amazed me… it’s like play. Going outside the box, more than the box basically. There’s this saying I read (I think it’s from Muhammad Ali) that goes ‘If your dream doesn’t scare you, then your dream is not big enough’. So that’s it- if you stay in the box, and that’s your norm and your comfort zone, you’re never going to grow. So that’s where [URBN Kitchen and Gourmet Consultant] are taking it, we’re always trying to reach another level and once we reach that and get comfortable, we try to go a little further. That’s how we created our menu as well.

Being progressive is always pushing the boundaries, it’s always thinking outside the box- something that hasn’t been or cannot be created; anything is possible. It’s all in your dreams, it’s all in your motivation

Yeah, your current menu is pretty interesting! There are a lot of unusual flavor combinations especially for Brunei where trends tend to come in quite late. Are you consciously trying to bring in current food trends that are happening overseas, to get Brunei up to speed faster?

Yes definitely, at one point one of our goals and our vision, was to bring Brunei to the same level as restaurants overseas with the way it’s presented, the service level, different combination of food ingredients. Where I was working in China, the chef taught me that when you think about a dish you have to think about [elements like] the sweetness, the texture, and color. So with color that’s because you eat with your eyes first and that’s where the pictures and the things on Instagram go. So once that looks really appetizing, for sure you’ll be enjoying the rest of the meal. But for sure we’re always trying to progress with the trends and watching how they plate. How we plate here at URBN Kitchen, that’s already been done actually but we’re going in the right direction where Brunei is a bit more involved into the food industry where we can see one day a proper fine dining restant here. But [URBN Kitchen] is not fine dining, it’s way far away from that. So one day hopefully, there’ll be a restaurant here that could even be a Michelin three-star. Doesn’t have to be me [laughs] it could be someone else you know! But we are heading to that direction.

Lamb dish by Hakim Othman from URBN Kitchen

Do you feel it’s important to inspire others the way you’ve been inspired by your food heroes and their creativity? Is that something you consciously want to pass on to your diners, suppliers, your staff, to do better and think outside box?

Yes, I totally agree with that and I do want to carry down the things I learned from where I studied, where I worked, because back in the days one thing is working in the hospitality industry is never easy. It’s one of the last jobs you’d want to have a career in- it was looked down on back then. But I had a lecturer in high school who said after I did my foundation who asked me what I wanted to major in. I had no idea and asked him what would fit me and he said hospitality because of my personality, and the way I talk about food in my assignments. I also want to contribute to the economy; the international standards, yes I do wanna bring that into Brunei, and to develop the hospitality and service industry, bring service levels to where restaurants in Asia – Malaysia, Singapore – are actually doing it. To me that’s always pushing the boundaries, it’s always thinking outside the box- something that hasn’t been or cannot be created; anything is possible. It’s all in your dreams, it’s all in your motivation.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hakim-othman/feed/0DART, Brunei’s first ride booking service to launch from Progresif Startup Labhttps://progresif.com/dart-bruneis-first-ride-booking-service-to-launch-from-progresif-startup-lab/
https://progresif.com/dart-bruneis-first-ride-booking-service-to-launch-from-progresif-startup-lab/#respondFri, 14 Apr 2017 08:45:11 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1418Progresif Cellular announced today its latest initiative to support the growth of innovation through their Startup Lab as part of the commitment to support entrepreneurship which is one of the company’s pillars for corporate social responsibility. Startups play an important … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular announced today its latest initiative to support the growth of innovation through their Startup Lab as part of the commitment to support entrepreneurship which is one of the company’s pillars for corporate social responsibility.

Startups play an important role in shaping an economy because of their ability to innovate new products. By having the Startup Lab, Progresif is creating an environment that gives new companies the chance to grow and thrive in a highly competitive business environment.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that the establishment of the Startup Lab is another example of the company making strides in supporting the growth of local innovation.

“The investment into creating the Progresif Startup Lab reflects our outlook on innovation. By looking at future possibilities, we can bring ourselves closer to it and reap the benefits of the results,” he said.

The Progresif Startup Lab is located at the company’s new headquarters in Gadong and is designed to accommodate multiple startup businesses that will gain full access to support services that are essential for their business.

Radi El Fassed, Head of Product and Business Development, said that Progresif has been deeply involved in startup initiatives since 2015.

“We have provided training for the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA), Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) Startup Bootcamp and the IGNITE Entrepreneurship Challenge. The Progresif Startup Lab is the next logical step and enables startups to take full advantage of everything Progresif has to offer in areas like marketing, finance, legal and network services.”

Progresif would like to welcome local startup Dart Logistics Sdn Bhd as the first company to join the Startup Lab. Dart Logistics will be introducing its DART app which is the first ride booking service in Brunei.

Zul’Amali DP H Idris, founder of Dart Logistics, said the support provided under the Progresif Startup Lab will help improve the business foundation of the company.

“We are excited to be part of this new development with Progresif and look forward to working closely with them in growing our business.”

“As Brunei’s first ride booking service, Dart Logistics aims to become the most trusted transport option. We believe that the DART app has the potential to create more jobs for locals, boost earnings of taxi drivers and improve passenger experience at the same time.”

“One of our main objectives is to partner with local taxis with the DART app which will give taxi operators access to passengers demands throughout the day and night, while still utilising the metered fares. Ultimately, we want to improve the variety of choices for transportation in Brunei,” he said, adding that that service is expected to be ready in the coming weeks.

Registrations to become part of Progresif Startup Lab are now open. If you’re interested to become part of the Startup Lab visit https://progresif.com/home/startuplab

]]>https://progresif.com/dart-bruneis-first-ride-booking-service-to-launch-from-progresif-startup-lab/feed/0Progresif UBD CoNECThttps://progresif.com/progresif-ubd-conect/
https://progresif.com/progresif-ubd-conect/#respondThu, 13 Apr 2017 09:04:39 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1436Progresif has announced the successful partnership with the Centre of Networking, Employment and Career Training (CoNECT) under Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) to run a three-day career building workshop for UBD students. The sessions, held at the UBD Library, included talks … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif has announced the successful partnership with the Centre of Networking, Employment and Career Training (CoNECT) under Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) to run a three-day career building workshop for UBD students.

The sessions, held at the UBD Library, included talks on the Progresif story, career advice and a curriculum vitae workshop which was conducted by Progresif’s Human Resources Department.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Progresif, said that the cooperation with UBD is a preparational exercise for students that are entering the job market as new prospects.

“The collaboration with UBD is the result of hard work and a mutual desire to assist with knowledge transfer and training to help students prepare to enter the workforce in Brunei. The programmes we have worked on have already resulted in a number of new jobs being created at Progresif.”

“We are very happy to again be partnering with UBD as we continue to deepen our involvement and investment in Education. We look forward to working with other educational institutions in the country for opportunities to play a nurturing role for students in Brunei,” he said.

Mohd Fauzi Mosdaram, Progresif’s Head of Human Capital, conducted a talk on career building and job hunting while highlighting the importance of creating the right resume up to the interview process and hiring.

“We wanted to give the students an opportunity to experience questions that they should expect from recruiters during an interview so that they can be better prepared for future job interviews,” he said.

Progresif has made a longstanding commitment to the education sector and will seek to nurture the abilities and talents of students in Brunei whether by making investments or by partnering with top educational institutions in the country.

The company is ready to support Brunei’s aspirations for a knowledge based economy through investment into education which is one of Progresif’s four pillars for social responsibility.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-ubd-conect/feed/0Progresif Announces 4G trialhttps://progresif.com/progresif-announces-4g-trial/
https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-4g-trial/#respondFri, 07 Apr 2017 08:57:34 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1429Progresif Cellular announced today that they have submitted an official request to start a trial of their 4G network. The application was filed with the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI) which kicks off a process, that subject to AITI … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular announced today that they have submitted an official request to start a trial of their 4G network.
The application was filed with the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI) which kicks off a process, that subject to AITI approval, could bring Progresif’s first 4G cell sites online within the next three months.

Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer at Progresif, stated “This is a significant milestone for Progresif as the trial will kickstart a major network development initiative which will drastically improve coverage and bring 4G speeds and a suite of enhanced services to our customers over the next year.”

“Activating our 4G network provides the foundation to bring greater innovation, data rich applications, enhanced multimedia services and helps to deepen our investment in education and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Over the past two years, Progresif has invested over $20 million to enhance and expand their network. As of today, the effort has resulted in a near doubling of the number of cell sites with another significant coverage expansion effort in process in preparation for a full 4G launch.

Peter Rubeck, Progresif’s Chief Technology Officer said, “Customers on our network have grown from only 20,000 to more than 150,000 subscribers over the last two years. This has required us to build and expand our coverage and capacity to keep up with demand.”

“The next phase of development will prepare for 4G by drastically improving areas where we have limited coverage or congestion because of high volumes of traffic,” he said.

A 4G network is not just about having increased speeds for end users. A study conducted by the multinational professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) predicted a global ‘burst of innovation’ that would be facilitated by the expansion of 4G networks which was not as prominent when network operators moved from 2G to 3G.

According to PwC, innovation coming from 4G would spawn new use cases involving proprietary and third party multimedia applications including, streaming video and TV content from the cloud, mobile gaming, mobile video conferencing and voice over IP with minimal latency.

With the higher bandwidth and lower latency, 4G has the capability to drive data-heavy industries and support the proliferation of upcoming devices with new applications such as virtual and augmented reality.

A 4G network could support new applications such as remote monitoring, big data enabled applications and medical diagnosis when paired with improved imaging sensors and advanced computing.

The move into a 4G network is also in line with the call for a more connected country by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

Progresif Marketing Communications Manager, Hafiza Mohamad stated “As a progressive communications company, Progresif is already developing innovative 4G based services which enrich the use of communications to greatly benefit our customers and the economy of Brunei.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-announces-4g-trial/feed/0Progresif Hero – Haji Zainalhttps://progresif.com/haji-zainal/
Fri, 07 Apr 2017 02:37:56 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=276Hello Haji! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself please? I am a designer basically. My background is in visual communication and graphics, that was long time before 1960. Okay, so how did you get into designing and … Continue reading →

I am a designer basically. My background is in visual communication and graphics, that was long time before 1960.

Okay, so how did you get into designing and making Batik fabric?

Batik, actually I didn’t learn from school you know but this was coming from my own talent actually when I was studying in the UK … I studied art and typography also in Kuala Lumpur at MARA. Well, back to batik, when I started that was in the year 2000,… basically I didn’t have any idea about how the process of Batik goes from the materials to the aspect of processing. You do this by hand, and start learning the process of dying using chemicals and later, you use the natural dye from leaves, of Bakau trees, seeds and so many things. During that time, you chose cotton and gradually you go on experimenting with many materials like silk or a polyester mix. There’s many choices now with availability of the fabrics. You have to know more about your techniques also; you can do silk-screen printing or by hand and experiment. This is how you can develop your ideas for your designs.

So for yourself, where does the inspiration come from?

I’m always striving more on the local design aspects and culture, more to Bruneian identity. I’m looking for identity, for a Bruneian essence. I take for example tenun which is clear to everybody because everyday you can see people wearing sinjang, so you can see the motif everywhere. So automatically, you are inspired to innovate on the motif.

And inspired to personalize? When someone purchases a particular kind of kain or a cloth, that’s very much a personal decision right.
Yes you are right, and that must be different from other sarong that’s imported from other countries. For Bruneians, they think that ‘This is our motif and I like to wear it’, so there’s this sense of belonging and they are proud to wear this outside of Brunei.

Related

So in terms of the actual designs, the colors and creating it, are there any existing Batik designers or Batik artists who motivate you?
This is through observation… When I go out I’m always, looking at the local environment – you always think, you always observe. Bruneian designs are normally non-figurative, partly also, you have to be more Bruneian and more MIB.

When you say they have to become more MIB, what do you mean?

Very Islamic, because this is one of the criteria that has to be accepted by the Bruneian customer, when you’re designing something. This is my experience, but the moment you move away far from that concept what you create is not really appreciated by people so the designer needs to really understand the concept of Bruneian culture. This is also present in food for example the Kuih or whatever local food, it has the shape that you can recreate as part of your design. What I’m doing here is only a small portion [of inspiration] that I get from tenun. At the moment, I’m focused more on the motif [from this]. I’m also trying on the Bunga Simpur and other [plants] like Pakis and Kuduk-Kuduk. Bruneians also tend to like more pastel colors especially young people.

So can you tell me about the collaboration project that you’re doing for the ASEAN meeting. What exactly is it? How was it for you to work with just ASEAN designers but people who are in your field and in your industry.

Basically, I’ve recently come back from a workshop with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and we collaborated with members of the ASEAN countries to set a concept for ASEAN attire. So in creating the motif, we’ve come out with a lot of ideas everywhere but to choose one is quite a lot of work.

How do you feel as an artist and business that is contributing to the goals of Wawasan 2035?

It is very important [to me]. You need some knowledge of the nature of business. Some people are artists, but do not know how to do business. I think that is, very important, especially when you try to plan something for your business, you must know your product line. You must know about the production [of it]. Then only you are able to do your business. That is very important for me, and for others also if they like to try [to enter the batik industry].

]]>Bruneians Overseas – Maricel Panituanhttps://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-maricel-panituan/
https://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-maricel-panituan/#respondThu, 06 Apr 2017 01:30:48 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=402Where In The World Are You (and what are you doing there!): Perth, Australia. Working on my womenswear label and tapping into the Australian market. Imagination is…. a way of motivating yourself to start working on an idea. How do … Continue reading →

Perth, Australia. Working on my womenswear label and tapping into the Australian market.

Imagination is…. a way of motivating yourself to start working on an idea.

How do you define being ‘creative’?

It’s about being resourceful with what you have and producing something unique out of it.

What drives your creative process and where does the inspiration for new ideas happen for you usually?

My creative process is rather spontaneous – it comes when I least expect it to; a few weeks ago I was just strolling by the beach and I started observing in detail the texture of the sand and seashells, the different hues in the sea and came up with various concepts as starting points for research based on these visual elements alone for a future collection. Usually whenever I have a burst of ideas such as mentioned, I’ll take images of it and note it down and keep it in my ‘ideas’ journal which I refer to whenever I start on a new collection.

Maricel Pamintuan working on one of her latest design.

Who’s inspiring you big time right now in the local fashion industry?

Nabeela Fadzil, IG: @lipstickmyname and Fina Muhamad, IG: @weekendfrocks – it’s inspiring to see how big of an influence they have on Brunei’s fashion market and their potential in bringing about a growth in Brunei’s budding fashion industry.What is the biggest influence Brunei has had on your collections? Growing up in Brunei’s nature-filled environment has strongly formed the basis of my design aesthetics in terms of tranquil elements such as through colour and texture.

]]>https://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-maricel-panituan/feed/0Bruneians Overseas – Flaui Tanhttps://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-flaui-tan/
https://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-flaui-tan/#respondThu, 06 Apr 2017 01:12:21 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=396Where In The World Are You (and what are you doing there!): Egypt; Freediving and running a cafe/restaurant called BoxMeal. How do you define being ‘creative’? Creative is when I’m motivated, and to be motivated comes from desires. Desires derive … Continue reading →

How do you define being ‘creative’?

Creative is when I’m motivated, and to be motivated comes from desires. Desires derive from inspiration, which comes from open mindedness. Open mindedness is acquired through journeys. Want to be creative? Travel.

What drives your creative process and where does the inspiration for new ideas happen for you usually?

Inspiration from my travels. Creative process… [that happens] when I’m tasting authentic different cuisines in host countries. The history of how a dish is prepared, the spices used and the origin of those spices and ingredients like how a traditional rice dish from Iran(pulow) traveled to The Stans (pulao in Uzbekistan) and then to India (briyani).

Imagination is….driven by passion and inspirations, through my travels

Who’s inspiring you big time right now in the local food industry?

Vendors from the night markets (tamu) in Brunei. Each visit back home, I have never failed to visit tamus. They share their love for our local food such as Nasi Katok, Satay, ABC, Roti John, and Apam Balik and happily share their love of making this food with everyone, whether you are visiting Brunei or living in Brunei. When you ask for the names or when you are interested to know about the dishes they are always polite to answer the same questions over and over again with patience and enthusiasm.

What is the biggest influence Brunei has had on your dishes?

Our truly sincere culture of sharing. We may be a small country but no matter what races make up Brunei, we are genuinely friendly and helpful not only to outsiders but towards our own people. This makes me very proud of who I’m am as a Bruneian, and I want to give this back to my community by sharing what I do best in (cooking) and showcasing our cuisine to the rest of the world. FYI, Nasi Katok will be only available at my restaurant in Dahab, Egypt.

]]>https://progresif.com/bruneians-overseas-flaui-tan/feed/0Progresif kicks off new line of business by signing a landmark deal with Hengyi Industrieshttps://progresif.com/progresif-kicks-off-new-line-of-business-by-signing-a-landmark-deal-with-hengyi-industries/
https://progresif.com/progresif-kicks-off-new-line-of-business-by-signing-a-landmark-deal-with-hengyi-industries/#respondFri, 31 Mar 2017 08:50:59 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1423Progresif Cellular has achieved another business milestone by signing a landmark deal with Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd to provide high speed data connection and solutions on the company’s project site in Pulau Muara Besar (PMB) and Hengyi headquarters at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. The … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif Cellular has achieved another business milestone by signing a landmark deal with Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd to provide high speed data connection and solutions on the company’s project site in Pulau Muara Besar (PMB) and Hengyi headquarters at the Empire Hotel & Country Club.

The agreement with Hengyi sets the stage for Progresif Solutions which is the latest line of business solutions from the company that is both flexible and affordable to fit the needs of government organisations and private businesses.

Roger Plahay, Acting CEO of Progresif, said that the deal paves the way for the company to continue pursuing innovative solutions for businesses in Brunei.

“This agreement is a great example of our approach to doing business, and is the result of the Progresif team working closely with the team at Hengyi to craft a solution that delivers value and real results. We’re providing critical connectivity to facilitate business development and site safety that helps progress of a major development initiative in Brunei.”

“As Progresif looks to expand our product and service offerings beyond mobile communications, Enterprise solutions represent a great opportunity for us to continue delivering innovation through a consultative and collaborative approach. We can provide cost effective and quick-to-deploy solutions that add real value to our customers and help achieve their mission critical business objectives,” he said.

Yap Boon Hui, Hengyi’s Senior Manager for Information Systems, said “This is an important milestone for Hengyi Industries and Progresif Cellular. The agreement exemplifies how two companies from different industries can work closely together and achieve a win-win situation.”

“The solution that Progresif provides allow us to communicate globally through high quality data connectivity. It will enable us to transmit and receive critical data relating to the operations and safety of our people and facilities” he said.

Radi El Fassed, Progresif’s Head of Product Development, said that Progresif Solutions focuses on understanding the communication needs of businesses which vary depending on factors such as industry and stages of growth.

“With Progresif Solutions, we have ICT experts and partners working with our customers to design, install and operate complex solutions that are based on the needs of our customer. We believe in giving users the freedom to do what they want instead of having pre-packaged plans that do not match their needs.”

As the business environment becomes increasingly competitive, both government and private enterprises are constantly finding ways to better manage their ICT resources for an outcome that results in accelerated growth.

Organisations and enterprises need a flexible, affordable and high quality service that matches their needs and can be developed further as their company grows.
Progresif Solutions gives government institutions and private businesses an edge in maximising their productivity by providing dedicated network connectivity, data management and consultative IT services for government agencies and corporate businesses.

Since the company’s inception, Progresif has grown substantially in the last two years with an ever-growing subscriber base and a network that continues expanding to provide the best service to customers.

Progresif Solutions is now available to businesses, government agencies and educational institutions. For more information, visit www.progresifsolutions.com

]]>Progresif Cellular has released the newest edition of its quarterly in-house magazine featuring extensive coverage on the local creative scene along with latest developments on global technology.

The 73-page magazine contains exclusive stories on creative individuals from writers and performance artists to fashion designers and architects, all of whom have made immense contributions to help build the country’s creative scene.

Within the pages, Progresif features inspirational Bruneians doing good work overseas while the page on tech trends cover stories on the latest in global technology.

The magazine also carries updates on Progresif’s new headquarters, a range of Progresif products and initiatives and a number of events that are tied to Progresif’s business and corporate social responsibility programme.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that public reception for the magazine has been positive since its first issue in 2015.

“The support from the community has helped Progresif magazine evolve into a platform for driving awareness and support for our corporate social responsibility pillars of Education, Entrepreneurship, Arts & Culture and Environment.”

“We look forward to a next level of innovation in expanding this strategy beyond print to other media to give even greater support in highlighting all the great talent, ideas and progressive initiatives throughout Brunei and beyond,” he said.

As a way to acknowledge the local creative scene, Progresif has also partnered with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the Brunei Creative Council (BCC) to create an online directory of creative professionals from eight categories: Architecture, Advertising, Publishing, Multimedia, Crafts, Fashion, Visual Arts, Music and Performance Arts.

This directory will help both creative companies and freelance professionals to gain access to the vast array of creative services and opportunities in Brunei.

Any creative companies or individuals that fall into these eight categories can register themselves into the database at https://progresif.com/home/creativecommunity

Progresif Magazine is a platform to highlight developments happening in the country and the world. It seeks to keep readers updated on not just the about the global tech industry but also how these developments are deeply connected to the country’s own growth process. The magazine is printed by Brunei Press.

This is just the beginning of Progresif’s expansion into the media space. More media initiatives will be taking place over time as the company continues to grow its engagements with local events and other on-the-ground developments in the country.

Progresif Magazine can be found at your nearest Progresif store and is available for download at https://progresif.com/home/progresifebrochure/

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-ramps-up-media-strategy-with-quarterly-magazine/feed/0Progresif Hero: Afizah Simhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hafizah-sim/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hafizah-sim/#respondSun, 26 Mar 2017 07:58:31 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=186Hi! Nice to meet you Afizah. We’ve talked to a lot of people about creativity and imagination in Brunei, which I suppose is not very different from anywhere else in the world but what does that mean to you as … Continue reading →

]]>Hi! Nice to meet you Afizah. We’ve talked to a lot of people about creativity and imagination in Brunei, which I suppose is not very different from anywhere else in the world but what does that mean to you as a local interior designer? How does that come into your career as well?

I work for Eco Bumi Architect, which is an architecture firm. We’ve recently opened up a sister company in interior design and we’re very new, about two years old so we just started doing our biggest project- the Progresif headquarters. Creativity really is a huge part of what we do because it’s not about just coming up with the ideas that are in your head but it’s also trying to implement your client’s ideas into a solution for your design. I think that’s what makes every single project very different because each client has different ideas so we need to fit them into an outcome that they are very happy with and to provide solutions to the type of designs that they want.

Afizah and her team worked on the interior design concept for the new Progresif Headquarters

Actually in uni it was really tough; I didn’t actually know I wanted to do interior design until I applied for school. So I guess being in that environment where everyone else is very creative and they’ve got attachment jobs here and there, so they’re already professional in that sense, whereas I had no clue as to what I was doing.

How did you realise that you wanted to do Interior Design?

I knew I wanted to do something in design; there’s so many areas like product design, landscape design a lot of ranges. So eventually I went for Interior Design and completely enjoyed it; it was a lot of struggle in the beginning but as I learned how these spaces work, how innovative you can be, I think I enjoyed it a lot more.

And I guess that fulfills your need to be creative?

Yeah.

What are you noticing here in Brunei, that’s trending in the interior design field in terms of ideas?

I think right now, a lot of industrial designs are very trendy, that kind of raw, rustic design but I also think that there is a shift now that is changing towards a lot of DIY designs and that’s really interesting because we try to implement all these designs but we also don’t want to make it look like every single café in town. We do try to bring [new] things in but I guess what we can do is just take snippets from areas that we like. But I see now that the Bruneian sense of Interior Design. we’re not so limited by that and we create our designs however we want, and how we want to execute them.

How would you define ‘contemporary Bruneian’ as a style then?

A lot of our designs are inspired by what we see over the internet, or when we go traveling, so we’re trying to bring that in and fit that into… I mean we’ve got Islamic design and some of these Bruneian patterns that make local designs very different from what we see overseas. I think that’s really interesting on our part because we get to play with the more modern, I guess you could say Westernized [aspects] but also blend in our Bruneian culture into it.

Related

And by that you mean Islamic motifs and stuff like that.

Correct.

As a designer, where or what do you get your inspiration from? What inspires you to be more imaginative and creative?

Seeing ways in which we can improve spaces. So it’s not just about making something look good but to make things very functional and also I guess, practical. A lot of our designs try to be more towards ‘Multi-functional’ actually; say you’ve got a space, maybe a room that can evolve into many different rooms or a room with many different functions.

So are there any projects either past or in the future, that you’re particularly excited about sharing?

We’ve done a few [projects] for private companies over the past two years, but we’ve just completed the Progresif headquarters which is something we’re really excited to show everyone because a lot of the ideas came from their team as well and trying to implement it into reality has been a big challenge but a fun one.

What can we expect? Are we looking at the next Google office here in Brunei?

This is one of Eco Bumi’s concept projects

Uhm, probably not on par with Google’s office just yet [laughing], but I guess along those lines. We were trying to go that way but also keep Progresif’s style, that open concept. I think they’re leaning more towards that environment now anyway in their office spaces.

Is it hard to be openly creative as a designer in Brunei?

I don’t think so but I guess the only thing that limits us is the type of materials we try to get in Brunei. So a lot of stuff we can’t find in Brunei has to be ordered from overseas; that’s the only challenge we really face. We do have to outsource them from overseas and it does take time for them to bring it in.

Being progressive is constantly trying to find solutions and trying to be different. In terms of Interior Design, I guess trying to find ways of improving people’s lifestyles in the environment that we create for them.

We have to take time to study the materials very carefully, see if they are worth getting, if that works well with our design. If you had them all in town. I guess it’d be easier to play around with and explore because you can actually go see and feel the materials. Which is important when you’re creating a space.

What are your thoughts on creativity/imagination as the next most important skill for the future generation of jobseekers?

I think creativity gives you a lot of opportunities to explore- not just everyday office work. I think it pushes you to a limit where you have to go out and explore other things. Try to implement it into the country or your life. Just simple everyday things to improve your lifestyle too. So I do believe creativity is a very important thing for everybody to have. I don’t think it’s something so much that you are taught, but more of something you need to explore because different people see things in different perspectives. I believe everyone is creative in their own ways which is good because you always see the old and new.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-hafizah-sim/feed/0Getting the Big Picturehttps://progresif.com/getting-the-big-picture/
https://progresif.com/getting-the-big-picture/#respondSun, 26 Mar 2017 05:38:53 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=144The secret of success is working alone and in secret. When you finally come out of the woodwork, you can announce something that blows your competition out of the water. There are just two problems with this: it only benefits … Continue reading →

]]>The secret of success is working alone and in secret. When you finally come out of the woodwork, you can announce something that blows your competition out of the water. There are just two problems with this: it only benefits the individual or corporation that comes up with the idea, and we’re well past the 80s.

In places like Silicon Valley, or industries like coffee today, where people constantly swap ideas and collaborate, there are more innovations that reach a bigger number of people, who ask for more of the same and of better.

What’s the point of the cultural and creative industries in Brunei?

A big believer in this way of succeeding is Professor Lopes of UBD. Since Aug 2016, he’s been researching into the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in Brunei, teaming up with some Creative Industries and Cultural studies students and a band of consultants. He wants you to come along for the ride, too.

Related

The project asks, ‘What’s the point of the cultural and creative industries in Brunei?’ In getting to the bottom of that, a lot will be revealed. If we know what the strengths of the industries are, and where they need help, we can do something about it. The other ideal outcome is getting everybody in these industries to meet, be merry and make things together. The more that happens, the faster the industries can develop!

For Professor Lopes, cultural and creative offerings add to our quality of life.

“It’s not life support like the hospital,” he said, “but it is in its way. We need healthcare and infrastructures, of course, but more than anything else, we need to socialise. When we consume culture, we usually do it with someone else. We like the artist or the movie and we want to show others how we appreciate that.”

Here’s the down low on the Research project:

STAGE 1

Done! A general survey of who’s who based on info available through social media networks, newspapers, and the like. They’ve come up with a working classification of the CCI clusters in Brunei.

STAGE 2

This is where you come in. Starting now, all creatives can register online, for free on a platform that is created between Progresif and UBD. Are you a freelancer? Work for a cultural/creative corporation? Or you know someone who is making a living either full or part time from some form of craft? The platform will evolve to help creatives become more visible and it might even turn out to be something of a business matchmaking avenue. Looking for a videographer, illustrator or bespoke scarf maker? Simply search and click.

STAGE 3

By mid-2017, time to make sense of the data and compile the results in a report, which will be shared (woohoo!) and discussed with those who create, the policies and decision makers, and the creative community in a forum to look at putting plans into action.

Are the Cultural and Creative Industries worth developing? What is their great output? Around the world, we talk a lot about the economic impact of CCIs but, there’s also a very important sociological impact.

“[What makes a thing art] is the concept that you think about once you’re exposed to it. It’s so dynamic, it can offer something to everyone [socially, intellectually, and emotionally]. That makes you a human being. That’s why everyone should be concerned about culture – to become better people.”

]]>https://progresif.com/getting-the-big-picture/feed/03D Printinghttps://progresif.com/3d-printing/
https://progresif.com/3d-printing/#respondWed, 15 Mar 2017 06:35:18 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=158If you’ve ever thought of 3D printing as some sort of supercharged version of printing, that is probably because it is. The capabilities of the technology itself should impress most of us. Even more so, are the potential opportunities that … Continue reading →

]]>If you’ve ever thought of 3D printing as some sort of supercharged version of printing, that is probably because it is.

The capabilities of the technology itself should impress most of us. Even more so, are the potential opportunities that come with the existence of such a device that is slowly becoming more accessible to users.

The processes used in 3D printing has been around since the 1970s but it is only within the last few years that manufacturers have been able to create user-friendly models with the right price point.

If you’re not looking to building something like a house then there are some local 3D printer dealers that you can find in Brunei.

Unlike a normal printer, a 3D printer creates objects building upon layers of material. All the user has to do is to use their imagination and conceptualise an item and the printer will do the rest. There’s also the option of using computer-aided design (CAD) files which are available on public domain to create something of their liking.

If you need a new phone case, you could essentially just download a CAD file that someone else has created and get the printer to do the hard work for you. You could even choose your own ‘resolution’ depending on how well defined you want the final product to be. In a nutshell, if you can imagine it, the printer can build it!

These printers also give industry users such as designers and engineers to test out their concepts in a real way by giving them the ability to explore their creations from the comfort of their own homes or workshops.

On a more grand scale, a company in China has managed to ‘print’ an entire house in 45 days, a feat achieved using its own system which combines concrete mixing and a 3D printing system. The house, built by HuaShang Tengda, is reported to be able to withstand an earthquake following a seismic test.

Another application for 3D printing is in the food industry where materials are replaced by edible ingredients to create a dish. Such is the level of innovation surrounding 3D printing that futurist Jeremy Rifkin has claimed that this development could usher in a third industrial revolution and take over the production line which has dominated most of modern day manufacturing.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT,
THE PRINTER CAN BUILD IT

Of course, not all 3D printer models are created equal. Generally speaking, the lower the price point then the more attention is required from the user. If you’re not looking to building something like a house then there are some local 3D printer dealers that you can find in Brunei. One of these dealers are local startup Dotroot Technologies which is the sole distributor in Brunei for Moment 3D Printers. The printer, made by Korean company Moment, has been touted has one of the more affordable printers on the market catering for both the needs of beginner to advanced users.

Here are some helpful links to learn more about 3D printers:

]]>https://progresif.com/3d-printing/feed/0Hangout – Round 5https://progresif.com/hangout-round-5/
https://progresif.com/hangout-round-5/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 07:33:19 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=736The beautiful thing about the ever growing street wear community is – anyone can be a part of it. From young graffiti artists, original clothing line entrepreneurs, skaters – to who knows, maybe even you (surprise us). And it’s all … Continue reading →

]]>The beautiful thing about the ever growing street wear community is – anyone can be a part of it. From young graffiti artists, original clothing line entrepreneurs, skaters – to who knows, maybe even you (surprise us). And it’s all thanks to Rahmat Ubaidah Jamil’s passion for graffiti and his idea of bringing in street wear from L.A. (Los Angeles, U.S.A.) to grow the arts and culture scene, which he started back in 2008.

Lagenda Clothing@lagenda_clothing

Over the past two years Kraytion Co. has already organized four Hangout events, with more than 5,000 youths being a part of the movement, which helped more than 40 young big thinkers and doers specifically in the street art scene and food industry all the while letting the entrepreneurs rub elbows with thousands of potential customers at the Hangout event.

Branded as the ‘Hangout’, it’s become somewhat of a trademark: “Hangout at” for all Hangout events just like last November, where the fifth installment, the Hangout 5 was called “Hangout at Taman Budiman”. The highlights were 2 very enthusiastic entrepreneurs and pioneers in their own right who made an appearance – Lagenda Clothing with 38.6k social media followers and STS with 14.7k followers. Their names are very much well known locally and internationally all thanks to their big consumer base who had also supported them in previous events, and they are still growing in numbers.

And because at Progresif, we are true believers in developing local talents and business owners, it’s more than natural to be a big supporter to inspirational individuals like these. The Hangout is indeed one of the many platforms where you too can showcase and promote yourself and be up front in the game.

]]>https://progresif.com/hangout-round-5/feed/0New Progresif Headquartershttps://progresif.com/new-progresif-headquarters/
https://progresif.com/new-progresif-headquarters/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 07:10:13 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=174Well we’ve moved in and needless to say, we’re pretty excited about our new headquarters. Not just because the extra space gives our staff a lot of ‘room’ to get their creative juices flowing, but also because it gives us … Continue reading →

]]>Well we’ve moved in and needless to say, we’re pretty excited about our new headquarters. Not just because the extra space gives our staff a lot of ‘room’ to get their creative juices flowing, but also because it gives us the opportunity to make you part of it all.

You see, while we’re proud of the progress we have made on building a strong telecommunications business, we want our role to go beyond just business transactions, to having a much bigger impact on the communities we serve so that we can see progress everywhere throughout Brunei.

What better way to do that than to support the radical thinkers, the dreamers and the doers through sharing our space, through collaboration and through bringing it all as close to home as possible.

The goal is to establish our new headquarters as a sort of cultural and entrepreneurial hub as part of our objectives to support innovation and growth among local businesses. One of the specific ways we are doing this is by having our own Progresif Startup Lab where we help stimulate the growth of the local info-communications and technology (ICT) industry by reaching out to educational institutions, entrepreneurs, small businesses, ICT research and big data initiatives.

The Startup Lab is our way of aiding the country in research and development in the ICT sector which, we believe, are key enablers for innovation and can further contribute to national aspirations for economic diversification.

At the same time, we also think that it is important to have local businesses on board to help us create an environment that is teeming with rich local culture along with infectious entrepreneurial vibes. We are keen to have local talents over to use our space to do their creative work. We are more than happy to be part of the best ideas that local talents can come up with.

Did we also mention a multipurpose hall on the third floor which is large enough to fit 250 people? You heard that right. You can run your own events or banquets there and get a good view of the surrounding Gadong area.

All of these new developments are just the beginning of the better things to come from Progresif. We’re glad to have experienced strong growth in the past two years which has been primarily because of your support, so giving back feels like the best way to say, Thank you.

We look forward to growing even more this year in our new space, stay tuned to social media to find out more about how you can be a part of it all.

Interested tenants will need to provide relevant details such as company registration, certificate of incorporation, business license and (halal) certification should it be a food business. The email should also contain future plans, thoughts and ideas on how the business aligns with Progresif’s brand and culture.

]]>Times are changing and with it – technology. Today, things like digital archiving and digital libraries have revolutionized how knowledge is being accessed, studied and passed on. The endless rows of shelves safely keeping centuries-old books now might seem like it was only a dream from our childhood. But it’s not to say that traditional libraries are gone – just getting a facelift with open spaces and discussion rooms equipped with Wi-Fi.

Related

The digital age, acting as a catalyst of change has transformed the role of libraries for the better. Technology has made the place where we can source information much easier and faster to use all thanks to librarians who teach people like readers, researchers, students and educators how to use online tools.

Nowadays, you can just press a button and information is easily available thanks to the Internet. The question is have traditional libraries lost their purpose? Well, change is inevitable – so the best solution would be to positively adapt to the challenges we might face with a digital environment. And that’s exactly what The Brunei Library Associations understood by organizing a 4-day conference on Libraries Transform: Unlocking Your Potential as Librarians.

The whole purpose of the conference is to highlight the role of librarians and to teach them to adjust and realign themselves in the digital world by understanding how people use information and also to develop services to cater to the wants and needs of millennials.

]]>https://progresif.com/brunei-library-associations-conference/feed/02016 BICTA Awardshttps://progresif.com/2016-bicta-awards/
https://progresif.com/2016-bicta-awards/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 06:13:46 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=711Winning an award is awesome – in fact, it’s rewarding. You could say it’s one of the best feelings in the world. It gives you a sense of achievement, a sense of belonging, a sense of ‘my hard work paid … Continue reading →

]]>Winning an award is awesome – in fact, it’s rewarding. You could say it’s one of the best feelings in the world. It gives you a sense of achievement, a sense of belonging, a sense of ‘my hard work paid off’. And if you’re a techie in Brunei, there’s no other annual competition like the Brunei Info-Communication Technology Awards (BICTA).

What started in 2004, organized by the Ministry of Communications with the help of the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) has become an annually held competition with the aim to inspire innovation and creativity in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry for everyone from students to entrepreneurs and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

BICTA has come a long way to become the benchmark for local companies to compete in to widen their influence in the ICT industry. And if you’re lucky (by that we mean: genius) enough to win the BICTA awards against participating countries like Australia, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore, you get the honor to represent Brunei in the Asia Pacific Info-Communication Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards which will be held in Taiwan.

There are many different categories for participants to compete in like School Project, Tertiary Project, ICT Industry and also the special awards category: Promising Entrepreneur, Green ICT, Young Developer and Emerging Technology. The participants are judged based on 5 main criteria – uniqueness, market potential, features, application of technology and presentation. All it takes is a big idea, lots and lots of hard work and the belief in making a positive change.

]]>https://progresif.com/2016-bicta-awards/feed/0Progresif Startup Hubhttps://progresif.com/progresif-startup-hub/
https://progresif.com/progresif-startup-hub/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 06:02:08 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=706There is no doubt how important startups are to any country’s economy. Companies like Google and Apple had their humble beginnings, initially starting out as small groups of passionate individuals who wanted to change the world. We know now that … Continue reading →

]]>There is no doubt how important startups are to any country’s economy. Companies like Google and Apple had their humble beginnings, initially starting out as small groups of passionate individuals who wanted to change the world.

We know now that both brands are some of the most valuable in the world but there is obviously more to it than the billions of dollars that they generate for their economies and the tens of thousands of people that they hire.

Apart from revolutionising industries, startups are also in the business of creating new ways of solving problems.
This could mean improving existing solutions or inventing something completely new. Either way, such developments help form the backbone of any country that wants to future proof its own economy.

Brunei is aiming to achieve this through the objectives in Wawasan (Vision) Brunei 2035 which aims for highly skilled people, a quality of life that is among the top 10 nations in the world and a sustainable economy with world’s highest income per capita.

To achieve these goals, innovation will be an important element and Progresif is well positioned to be a major contributor to these objectives with its very own startup lab. Innovation has always been at the heart of what Progresif does and the hub is being setup to support local startups who are driving innovation which can be leveraged as economic drivers for the country.

For Progresif, the hub signifies a key milestone in their development for driving entrepreneurship as one of the pillars under the company’s corporate social responsibility programme. Under the startup programme businesses will gain access to support structures in areas such as engineering, legal, finance and marketing as well as access to their vendor eco system.

In other words, the company provides assistance for startups in some of the most critical aspects of running a business such as creating proper financial reports, dealing with contracts and licenses and building sales and marketing plans to ensure revenue and profitability.

Progresif will also provide a shared working space which has been designed to provide a work environment that is conducive to creativity and innovation. As part of the Startup Lab Progresif aims to be a client so as to provide real revenue opportunity as well as support. To date, Progresif has already partnered with local startups DotRoot, Itsybytes and Snapfeed to create solutions to facilitate business growth.

Additionally, Progresif is also working with data analytics company Priority Dynamics who will be the first business to take up residence at the Startup Lab.

Progresif will also be working closely with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) for ongoing programme development along with Huawei as key technology partner.

To find out more about how your startup could get involved email us at info@progresif.com and use the subject line “Progresif Startup Lab”.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-startup-hub/feed/0Cultural and Creative Clustershttps://progresif.com/cultural-and-creative-clusters/
https://progresif.com/cultural-and-creative-clusters/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 05:50:05 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=206Ahhh, the beautiful and creative. They give us a dose of joy and pleasant surprises. We’re getting a lot more of those moments, thanks, in part, to the growth of CCIs – the Cultural and Creative Industries – which are … Continue reading →

]]>Ahhh, the beautiful and creative. They give us a dose of joy and pleasant surprises. We’re getting a lot more of those moments, thanks, in part, to the growth of CCIs – the Cultural and Creative Industries – which are industries powered by human creativity. An unlimited resource that’s within every person on earth!

The creative industry in Brunei is pretty much a blank canvas at the moment, with little specks of colour everywhere; a piece of art in progress. There’s also the cultural industry which needs a little TLC. Both can bloom into something great. Our imaginations and heritage can be turned into delightful and desirable products that are uniquely Bruneian. For travellers and Bruneians, both. UNESCO and some of their friends have taken a snapshot of the global CCI situation last year and found out that these industries invigorate businesses, create millions of jobs, make cities more attractive (London theatres, Milan fashion, etc) and add to our quality of life.

We want to build a similar CCI map for Brunei, to see how far this is true for us. You can help out. If you’re part of the cultural or creative industries in Brunei, and know someone who is, head over to (www.progresif.com/home/creativecommunity). We’re definitely talking about you if your work is artistic, cultural or heritage-related in nature and/or is based on individual creativity (which means it involves intellectual property) – and makes money.

Check out these eight clusters and see which one you fit into:

CRAFTS
Textiles, woodcarving, metalwork. You get the gist! Anything handy and relating to culture and heritage, including how it’s made, as in the case when you use an old technique to create something new.

FASION DESIGN
Sparkles, glitter, baubles and buttons – and that’s just for shoes. Of course we’re talking about clothes, jewellery and other accessories, from the design aspect, the production, and right down to the distribution.

ARCHITECTURE
Likely to have hard hats tucked in the car boot, these are creatives involved with anything to do with the consulting, design, planning, construction and conservation of a building (inside, outside) and landscapes.

MULTIMEDIA
Oh how we love those vines! And who’s seen the short animation showing in cinemas right now about how the brain and heart work out their differences? In this cluster are people who work on audio and visual mediums such as film, video, photography, radio, animation and interactive content.

PUBLISHING
Digital is growing, what with interactive media, VR/AR and what not. But print ain’t fading into the background. Books, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, flyers and their equivalents in digital form need editorial, production, promotion and distribution services.

ADVERTISING
Memorable jingles, touching Public Service Announcement vids, larger than life posters! This sector is all about getting information out there using all sorts of platforms – billboards, radio, the back of a bus. Consultancy, campaigns, ad space and production and distribution of ad materials – all in!

VISUAL ARTS
You might think that art installations and sculptures are rare here in Brunei – the trick is to look in the right places since these two actually make up the core activity under this cluster along with painting, fine arts, galleries, art fairs, exhibitions and auctions. So this one is for the artists, designers and people who bring it all together into local events and openings.

MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS
Music, like film, travels far and takes a gamut of people along for the ride. You’re in here if you spend time on musical production, recording, distribution, be it live or recorded. Then there’s performance art which includes stage users (sort of, sometimes) i.e. dance, theatre, stand-up comedy, and the like.

]]>https://progresif.com/cultural-and-creative-clusters/feed/0Droneshttps://progresif.com/drones/
https://progresif.com/drones/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 04:00:29 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=702About two months ago, American pizza chain Domino’s Pizza, introduced the use of drones as the latest addition to its delivery system. The delivery, which was made in New Zealand, could well be the first example of a food delivery … Continue reading →

]]>About two months ago, American pizza chain Domino’s Pizza, introduced the use of drones as the latest addition to its delivery system.

The delivery, which was made in New Zealand, could well be the first example of a food delivery using a drone system. The DRU drone was a custom built model by Flirtey, a startup that has worked with agencies such as NASA and top educational institutions to build drone delivery systems for the mass market.

small, mobile and easy to operate

This drone in particular had a tether which gave the drone the ability to lower fresh pizzas straight to the required location but this doesn’t stop there. According to Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeney, the company wants to reach a level where customers can order a pizza and receive it via drone at the push of a button on their smartphone once the drones are integrated fully into its online delivery and GPS system.

There are many other examples that one can draw from but it is certainly safe to say that drones will eventually become the norm as more industries adopt the machines into their technology arsenal. Although drones are still not as widely used in general, there are many reasons to believe why drones are definitely on top of the list for the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT).

On their own, drones are just pieces of hardware that can be remotely controlled. However, once these machines are paired with the right software, you immediately have an industry application. Because they’re small, mobile and easy to operate, drones make the perfect solutions for industries requiring work such as surveying. In the context of telecommunications, for example, drones have been used to survey towers which would otherwise be riskier when using human labour.

drones have been used to survey towers
to reduce human risk

So how exactly are these zippy machines related to IoT? Drones are highly customisable machines with some being more complex than others. For the average hobbyist, all that is needed may be a stabiliser and a wide-angle camera. When it comes to industries, the baseline requirements have increased but drones are nevertheless adaptible to these demands and can do much more than conventional methods.

Due to their size, drones were initially thought the best fit for survey and site monitoring related tasks but their role is quickly expanding into other areas as well and there are many examples of this.

For one, The Ambulance Drone, which was developed by Dutch student Alec Momont for his Masters thesis, could deliver automated defibrillation devices to a patient in 12 sq kilometre radius within a minute. Alec Momont suggested this would increase survival rates for cardiac disorders by 80 per cent. This development could potentially prove to be an important extension for existing emergency systems globally.

Then there’s PrecisionHawk, a company which makes use of drones equipped with various sensors to collect data which is then analysed and used to make actionable decisions from maintenance to disaster management. Drones would fly out to map a certain location and transmit data back into the ‘cloud’ where data is processed for analytics.

In Brunei, the use of drones is currrently restricted under Section 21 of the Civil Aviation Order 2006. However, the government has acknowledged the potential for innovation of drones and are still reviewing the regulatory framework which could give room for the use of drones provided that it is within the law. Some exemptions may also be granted on a case-to-case basis.

]]>https://progresif.com/drones/feed/0The Creative Processhttps://progresif.com/the-creative-process/
https://progresif.com/the-creative-process/#respondWed, 01 Mar 2017 02:33:54 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=678People have their own creative processes. A designer might stare into space for an indefinite amount of time before grabbing random pieces for a mood board. A musician might jam for an hour and come up with a complete track, … Continue reading →

A designer might stare into space for an indefinite amount of time before grabbing random pieces for a mood board. A musician might jam for an hour and come up with a complete track, giving the raw material to someone else for mastering afterwards. If your creative project is taking too long to take shape, or you’re stuck in that murky middle where no end is in sight, perhaps it’s time to look under the bonnet and make a few tweaks to move the process along!

1. AT THE START

Something’s missing in the world, and we wanna do something about it.

Hurdle: Procrastination and self-doubt

Try upsizing the Why.
Think about how it can help or delight a great number of other people. When we feel what we’re doing will make a difference, we imagine better, and sometimes that inspires us into action!

OR

try starting small.
Make a two-week start by date (or two hours, whichever is appropriate). For an extra boost, make yourself accountable and tell someone so they can check up on you when the time comes.

2. IN THE MIDDLE

It’s time to explore. Let the problem or ideas float around while you look for the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Doubt (again!) and all of the sudden, you and Google search are best buddies

Try trusting your capacity to connect dots.
At this point, the ‘creation’ is ever-changing, so fix a date when you’ll ban yourself from ‘more research’ on Google, Pinterest, YouTube and the like.

OR

Try affirmations like ‘I got this’!
Remind yourself that what you need is probably already in you. We take in information all the time, so the back of our minds is a busy factory full of potential insights. They just need to be invited to come front and centre.

IN THE MIDDLE – PART DEUX

This is where there’s some action – or at least more than before! Things are being put into place, trialled and modified. There may still be some missing pieces but hey, at least there’s a short list!

Disappointment and opposition (especially from others if there’s been one too many dead ends).

Try not to edit or trash anything.
You’re only half-way, so the idea could still do with some fleshing out. Edison famously said about his electric light bulb invention, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’

OR

Try getting people together to start criticising!
Do it constructively – in a way that every criticism is sandwiched between what’s good about the work and what needs improving. Also, don’t take the comments personally. The feedback is for the creation, not the creator(s).

3. THE REVEAL

Almost. You can finally step back now and marvel at your work. Before launching it onto the big world, do some final checks.

It’s bad. Like, very bad…

Try putting it in the freezer for at least 24 hours or a few days.
Then come back to see with fresh eyes, ears and brain power. Perhaps all it takes is a bit of spit and polish.

OR

Try putting it out there anyway.
Things don’t always work out. Nonetheless, you’ve created something that wasn’t there before, take notes, smile and keep going!

]]>https://progresif.com/the-creative-process/feed/0Progresif Unveils New Unlimited-Unlimited-Unlimited Planhttps://progresif.com/progresif-unveils-new-unlimited-unlimited-unlimited-plan/
https://progresif.com/progresif-unveils-new-unlimited-unlimited-unlimited-plan/#respondMon, 27 Feb 2017 08:33:31 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=1410Progresif announced today the launch of a plan which they state has been two years in the making. The new Unlimited plan provides subscribers with Unlimited Data, Calls and Text Messages for only $90 per month. The plan was designed … Continue reading →

]]>Progresif announced today the launch of a plan which they state has been two years in the making. The new Unlimited plan provides subscribers with Unlimited Data, Calls and Text Messages for only $90 per month. The plan was designed to be simple and straightforward so users don’t have to worry about their monthly usage or being surprised by hidden fees or overage when they receive their bills.

Corporate Communication Manager, Hafiza Mohamad, stated that “The plan was designed as part of our ongoing strategy to make communication accessible and simple for everyone”. Mrs. Mohamad continued, “We spend a lot of time talking and listening to our customers, so that we can stay in touch and provide what they want, rather than a one size fits all approach with packages that may not address customers’ needs and can often be confusing.”

The new Progresif Unlimited plan is available for both prepaid and postpaid customers and is designed to make things simpler for everyone, so if $90 doesn’t fit your budget, you can still get unlimited local voice and text for just $20 and then add on as much Data as you need.

Progresif has also reported completion of an additional 6 cell sites in the last 2 months and reports a growing customer base with more than 150,000 active subscribers. Acting CEO Roger Plahay commented, “As Progresif continues to grow and develop our network, we aim to continue providing good value for our customers in line with our constantly improving quality of service”. “The growth of our network, for both coverage and capacity, is critical to starting our trials for 4G, so that when we launch we provide the experience that our customers desire and deserve.”, Mr. Plahay continued.

The new Unlimited Plan is available starting Monday 27th February and customers can sign-up or upgrade in any Progresif stores. Additional details are available through social media in Instagram @progresif_cellular or Facebook – Progresif Cellular or online at www.progresif.com

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-unveils-new-unlimited-unlimited-unlimited-plan/feed/0Music – the old and the newhttps://progresif.com/music-the-old-and-the-new/
https://progresif.com/music-the-old-and-the-new/#respondMon, 14 Nov 2016 03:41:19 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=839Today technology lets you enjoy and discover all sorts of music far easier than ever before. The choices are endless, with pretty much any type of music you want, at the click of a button away. Things like the latest … Continue reading →

]]>Today technology lets you enjoy and discover all sorts of music far easier than ever before. The choices are endless, with pretty much any type of music you want, at the click of a button away. Things like the latest music releases from our favourite artist, to music interviews or even watching them recording their newest tune live – all at our own time. The days of waiting in line at a music store to score the latest record or CD release are out of sight.

Such innovations are only the latest in a whole history of technology changes, that have brought music to our ears in ever more convenient ways over the last 150 years or so. Music and the tech that’s brought to us have both expanded ever since, at an ever-increasing pace. If we time-warp way back to the past, there were only 2 options – the live ‘gig’, where you had the chance to hear musicians perform live, or if you were lucky enough to be able to afford an instrument and play it yourself.

To hear music performed on instruments was a rare privilege, not part of our everyday lives as it is today. Songs were mostly localised within cultures, passed down from parent to child, so different musical styles were very much restricted to different parts of the world. When hit songs were first ‘published’ and the Top 40 emerged, they were literally notated on paper, so you would buy the latest ‘sheet music’ and take it home to perform yourself.

The key change of course was being able to record and playback music, with inventions like the phonograph (using wax cylinders), the gramophone (with vinyl records as we know today) and radio, which were technology revolutions at the end of the 19th century – they were the iTunes and Spotify’s of their time. Suddenly you could listen to different music in the comfort of your own home.

Radio became the key, with disc jockeys (DJs) playing the latest vinyl discs, providing news and gossip on the latest cool artists and bands, as we still have today. At the time, it was as transforming as the Internet has been to us 100 years later, with almost instant live information available, compared to previously waiting for the morning newspaper the next day, or hearing via word-of-mouth from the village elder. Of course we could only hear what the DJs wanted to play, but for most people it was eye opening to be exposed to so many different musical styles. Just think how many of the famous rock and pop stars say that they were influenced by first hearing other artists on the radio.

Recordings have had a massive impact on cultures, most importantly by allowing them to preserve traditional and classical music to pass on to the next generation, especially while instruments have also transformed over the past century. Traditional instruments such as our gambus (the ‘oud’ or ‘lute’ from centuries past) have now been replaced by the electric guitar, or the rebana, gendang and kompang rhythms (traditional drums), which can be played with a modern drum kit.

The Pop culture phenomenon of the 1950’s and 60’s really brought recorded music into the mainstream and made the first worldwide musical superstars, from Elvis to the Beatles, the Stones and beyond. We didn’t care about the crackle and skip of our most played record, or the ‘S’ hiss when the radio went out of range, it was all about the freedom to listen to what we wanted, when we wanted. Of course compared to today, it was very restricted, but as cars became ever more affordable with on-board radio (and even portable record players), then we could listen to our favourite tracks at our convenience.

Vinyl records were the mainstream, but let’s face it is not the most convenient medium to use on-the-go, so innovations such as the 8-track and the portable cassette became popular alternatives, but were never serious contenders due to the poor sound quality compared to records. We did get the Walkman in the 1980s, the first personal cassette player, finally freeing us to take music with us out in the open with no limitations – free to listen to our favourite tunes, as long as the batteries lasted. And with MTV, music videos were all the rage, though the prediction that “video killed the radio star” for the 1980’s was short-lived. Plus you can’t watch a video while driving, so radio will always have that special place to keep us entertained when on the road.

Related

The Digital Revolution came and shortly after that, the compact disc (CD) arrived and a new generation of portable listening pleasure was with us. Promising to fix the ‘crackle and hisses’ of overplayed vinyl, we entered the digital age when crisp noise-free recordings came about, just as we enjoy today. But CDs could get scratched and then we had ‘skips’, so the hype didn’t always match the ‘latest technology’ promises, plus there were quick-lived other formats such as MiniDisc and DCC that never really caught on in the long run. And they could never replace the many concept albums that gave us different ‘Side A’ and ‘B’ experiences. Or the fact we had to get off the sofa to turn over the record.

Enter: the age of MP3 players, iPods and then iTunes and Google Play, which came on our smartphones, with millions of music tracks available on demand, then the true revolution arrived and we are now almost swamped with too much choice. Just think, in your hand, on your smartphone, you now have more music available to you than most people previously have even heard in history.

Combined with social media that has completely altered the way we interact with each other, even our relationship with music and the artists that create it has changed, so we can always be in touch with the latest developments. No more press releases and waiting for replies to fan club subscriptions, we can now keep tabs on our favourite stars in real-time.
So as you discover your new favourite track, artist or band, stop for a moment to think if there’s a chance to go see the artist live, or listen with the warmth and hiss of a vinyl recording, or find that exclusive old radio interview – as the saying goes “real music never dies” – and the same can be said for the different technologies that were originally published on over the years.

]]>https://progresif.com/music-the-old-and-the-new/feed/0Progresif Hero: Syafiq Baharudinhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-syafiq-baharudin/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-syafiq-baharudin/#respondSun, 30 Oct 2016 08:48:29 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=860What made you want to get in to music production? I actually studied business and worked in banking for a little while after college, but then in 2008 I saw a job advertised for a music technician at Jerudong International … Continue reading →

I actually studied business and worked in banking for a little while after college, but then in 2008 I saw a job advertised for a music technician at Jerudong International School. So I started working with their Music Department on the A-Level Music Technology course, where students learn about composing and sequencing music and multi-track recording.

I have always been into music, being in the Bruneian band D’Hask, which formed way back when we were in school in 1999. I’m the keyboard player as well as a back-up singer. I’ve also been a session musician for other groups and played at functions such as weddings and even the RTB Orchestra. With my earnings, I invested in equipment so we could record our tracks and see if we could get our music played on local radio – which we did actually, topping the Pelangi FM charts for many weeks.

How did you then start your studio recording business?

After I had finished my studies, I had all this equipment and wanted to make a living from it, so I started to get all these people to come in who needed help in properly recording their sound. It was also about sharing my experience, my message and how music really inspired me. I was lucky that one of my early clients was ‘A Band Once’ – a very popular group who have since exploded on the local scene – and from there on I had loads of groups and soloists wanting to record with me. I also work in composition and was fortunate to work with our now famous Bruneian singer Fakhrul Razi on one of his songs in the early days, so again that exposure helped my business.

As a musician, what have been some of the highlights of your career?

In my band D’Hask, we were fortunate to get noticed and go to the UK in 2010 to record our first proper music video, where we even had Hollywood superstar Pamela Anderson be part of it! We also met so many amazing and supportive people in London, it was very humbling and we are so grateful for the opportunity we had. Plus for our next single we went to the US and had world famous stars like musician Marilyn Manson, actress Bai Ling and singer JoJo also guest appeared. It was an amazing experience in LA, followed by so many interviews and articles in the press when we got back to our part of the world. After that exposure, we agreed it would be good to also concentrate on helping up and coming artists in Brunei – basically helping the next generation. I knew how difficult it is, so I always encourage them to come to the studio and record whatever they want. Actually, that’s what brings me real satisfaction!

Whatever you have done or achieved, you still need to progress. The sky’s the limit so never give up and always push further to be the best you can be.

What would you say are the particular challenges for musicians here in Brunei?

We have only a small market here, so it pays to be versatile and cover many types of musical tastes. As there are limited opportunities for gigs, playing at weddings and events is the way to get noticed. Also if you are in a group, it can be very difficult for everyone to get leave from their jobs at the same time, especially true if you want to perform abroad for example – to break out and be big, you really need to go outside Brunei and get exposure in bigger countries.

What are your plans for the future?

Well the one thing Brunei doesn’t have are proper record labels or music publishing companies. We do have recording and production facilities but not the means to publish and protect artists’ rights or even collect royalties for writers and performers. So I and a number of people in the industry have been working together to see if we can come up with something. Also, I would like to put together proper compilation CDs to showcase local talent.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-syafiq-baharudin/feed/0Progresif Hero: Kamal Ghadafihttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-kamal-ghadafi/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-kamal-ghadafi/#respondSun, 30 Oct 2016 08:26:08 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=849When did you first discover the joy of playing music and specifically drumming? I started very early, from about the age of 6. The older generation in my family are very musical, with my dad playing the drums, so he … Continue reading →

]]>When did you first discover the joy of playing music and specifically drumming?

I started very early, from about the age of 6. The older generation in my family are very musical, with my dad playing the drums, so he taught me from a young age and it grew from there really. At school, I also discovered our traditional music and instruments in music class, such as the gulingtangan (the Malay horizontal gongs), which was great. I soon discovered that music is not just music when you are passionate – it’s a way of life. When I was older and on my travels, I was intrigued by buskers who played the djembe (a traditional African goblet drum) and was really interested to find out if it was something I could play – so I bought my first one in Singapore in the late 1990s and started learning it.

You won’t achieve anything if you just sit around and think about it. Get out there and make that progressive change with action.

How did you progress to starting a group and performing?

Actually at first, I was in a local Heavy Metal band called ‘H8’ at that time. We were heavily influenced by the late 1980s scene, though I was also into Pop too – there were so many great artists and groups during that period. I also learned guitar and did some singing, but percussion has always been my main thing. There are always adverts for guitarists or lead vocalists, but most people forget that a drummer is the backbone of any group! So I started on the idea of getting a percussion group together – the first time there were about eleven of us and it was not so varied because we all had Metal music backgrounds and interests. Fast forward 10 years and this year we had a more varied selection of drummers and percussionists at the “Hundred Beats” festival we held in Jerudong Park, where we were overwhelmed by the amazing response from the crowd who came to see us.

Tell us about the current music scene in Brunei and your role in the Department of Culture, Youth and Sports?

I actually work in Youth Entrepreneurship, but the Department as a whole is trying to develop the talent industry here in Brunei, through a number of initiatives. Currently, we are in the planning stages to develop a program to teach basic music skills, especially for local instruments. The gulingtangan is almost an 8-piece orchestra in itself and takes time to master. We have also opened a music studio for anyone to come and rehearse and record at the Pusat Belia youth centre. Together with the Department of Education, there are music competitions for students to showcase their skills at playing our traditional music and instruments, plus there are a few musicians now mixing up traditional and modern music styles. Of course we must preserve our heritage, but music is also about the evolution from one generation to the next, so these new styles are exciting to listen to.

What are your personal aspirations for the future and performing?

Playing music is always a learning path, that’s what we do at Hundred Beats – learning from each other, whether it is new styles, techniques or musical genres. That’s what makes it so great. If you’re not a percussionist, it seems simple to play, but I tell you it’s not! I hope that many more percussionists can join us and we can bring in more international performers and have a concert that’s a yearly fixture on the calendar for Brunei. It would also boost tourism I am sure and if we could make it as well known as say the Borneo Jazz Festival, then it would be a dream come true. Our future plan for the group is to tour around Japan, KL, South Korea and Philippines, so far our agent in KL has been working on the tour to Japan and KL. This is one way for the group to spread their wings and create more exposure for local musicians and to also support ASEAN’s “People-to-People Exchange” through music.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-kamal-ghadafi/feed/0Progresif Heroes: Aidan & Aizathttps://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-aidan-aizat/
https://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-aidan-aizat/#respondSun, 30 Oct 2016 08:23:17 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=846What first inspired you to open Brunei’s first vinyl record store after so many years? AIMAN: It’s from our love of music basically. It’s the only way to listen to it in the original format – how the artists designed … Continue reading →

]]>What first inspired you to open Brunei’s first vinyl record store after so many years?

AIMAN:
It’s from our love of music basically. It’s the only way to listen to it in the original format – how the artists designed it to be heard. Especially for music from the ‘50’s,‘60’s and ‘70’s, where they designed an album to be heard in full, with a side A and then a side B. Often each side can sound really different, which is lost with CDs and when people these days just download individual tracks.

AIZAT:
For jazz and blues, nearly all albums were created this way, taking the listener on a different journey on each side of the album. The best thing is the sound though – the analogue sound is way better. An MP3 is a digital sample, you lose quite a bit of the original content and you can feel the difference – the overall warmth of the recording is lost.

How did you identify this gap in the market to start up selling records?

AIMAN:
We didn’t really, we just thought we’d give it a go as there was no-one selling vinyl and it’s our passion. We started up in a van as a hobby about 3 years ago, going to events, advertising on Instagram and Facebook, to see if there was a market. We thought: worst-case scenario, our friends might buy something…it was called the Rolling Records Store and we were surprised so many people were interested, both young people and from the older generation.

AIZAT:
We were always late showing up to the events. The van was so old – we always had to jump-start it, though I think that was mostly because we used up the battery with the sound system. We eventually realised there was enough of a market to then open a proper record store.

AIMAN:
From the start, we also started selling turntables as we realised many people didn’t have them, so that really helped our business too.

To be progressive is to always do what you feel is the right thing, without expecting recognition or reward. Follow your passion and principles and be authentic in everything you do.

Who are your best customers and what kind of music do they buy?

AIZAT:
We have all sorts of customers who are into a wide range of music. If it was up to us, we would just stock jazz and blues *laughs*, plus maybe hip-hop, soul and funk – we’re really into Black American music.

AIMAN:
But we know there’s a wider market, so we stock records across all music genres. Many new bands are releasing on vinyl, plus there are re-releases of classic albums from the last 20 years and beyond. So we have younger customers who like to buy the latest LPs on vinyl instead of iTunes or streaming. Some of the latest records also come with the CD and even download vouchers – so you get 3 in 1. And with vinyl, you get the whole package – the artwork, the physical media.

AIZAT:
It was surprising when the older generation came in too, to see the new kids in town. And some who were musicians themselves in the past. I even have some old ‘45s from Bruneian artists from the 1960s, who recorded and got records pressed in Singapore.

AIMAN:
They also come to sell their records and some have been very generous, for example giving us a record cleaning machine and even some speakers. Also we have new musicians who bring in their own music, so we support them by selling their CDs and having live music sessions too.

AIZAT:
The great thing is that we meet so many people who have gravitated towards the shop, those that like the kind of music we are into.

What are your future plans for the business?

AIMAN:
More record stores *laughs*. I don’t mean just for us, rather that the whole scene grows and more people understand and enjoy the experience of listening to complete albums and the beauty of vinyl.

AIZAT:
We just hope that more people will start to appreciate what we like to think is proper music, rather than the commercial pop that makes up most of the music you hear today.

If you wanna get your hands on some vinyl, head down to their store in Kiulap or checkout their IG:@doitgoodrecords

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-heroes-aidan-aizat/feed/0Rise of the robotshttps://progresif.com/rise-of-the-robots/
https://progresif.com/rise-of-the-robots/#respondFri, 14 Oct 2016 06:49:22 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=835Robots – yup, when you think about it you might imagine huge mechanical monsters, controlled by some super computer trying to take over the earth, like in so many science fiction films over the years. Well, that’s not what we’re … Continue reading →

]]>Robots – yup, when you think about it you might imagine huge mechanical monsters, controlled by some super computer trying to take over the earth, like in so many science fiction films over the years. Well, that’s not what we’re talking about – we mean the huge progress this year in computing power, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) – technologies that are already transforming our world.

Over the years, we’ve become used to seeing robots in factories assembling vehicles – they have often been fairly clunky and single-purpose machines, programmed to do just one repetitive task or need to be remote-controlled by us to perform their actions. And on the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the odd robot waiter serving in a hi-tech restaurant or even ones being taught to play different sports (think Japan).

However, the most recent advances in technology now mean far more intelligent machines are being created, able to do more complex tasks and are even clever enough to ‘learn’ how to solve new problems. 2016 may be the year when we can finally say that many science fiction ideas are finally becoming science fact.

There’s a silent revolution taking place, unseen to the majority of us, where all sorts of production lines for our consumer goods – from shoes to our smart phones, from home appliances to construction materials – are today being ‘manned’ by robots. There’s even a new name for these new co-workers – ‘co-bots’. Often they are replacing boring, repetitive tasks and so are helping us to swap low-skilled (and potentially dangerous) jobs with better-skilled responsibilities.

In the home, ‘humanoid’ robots are also becoming more commonplace and are able to provide all sorts of assistance to us. The Zenbo can freely move around the house, with the ability to provide information, make video calls, interact with connected devices in the home and even entertain the children, like your very own digital personal assistant. The Pepper robot is the first designed to be a day-to-day companion, with the ability to understand your emotions and interact with you, as if it were an actual person.

All of this is possible thanks to the latest developments in AI, where computers are now clever enough to analyse issues and think faster than us. It’s 20 years since a computer was able to beat a Chess Grandmaster, but it has taken until this year for one to beat a master of Go, a game with hundreds of millions more possible moves. Such intelligence is now being put to all sorts of uses, from examining health records to help spot diseases, to predicting the weather and even creating a lot of the content we see online.

These super intelligent computer programs, known as Internet ‘bots’, automatically help us search for the information we need, give us recommendations, reply to customer support queries and now to the extent of writing news reports and even write-ups in magazines (take me for example – kidding. Or am I?)

]]>https://progresif.com/rise-of-the-robots/feed/0A medical revolutionhttps://progresif.com/a-medical-revolution/
https://progresif.com/a-medical-revolution/#respondFri, 14 Oct 2016 06:47:30 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=829In our last issue we took a look at how the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) will transform the world around us, through smart cities, transport and agriculture, with the use of connected devices monitoring our environment and helping us in … Continue reading →

]]>In our last issue we took a look at how the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) will transform the world around us, through smart cities, transport and agriculture, with the use of connected devices monitoring our environment and helping us in all manner of ways.

There’s also another revolution taking place in personal healthcare, where the latest innovations will redefine our traditional patient-doctor relationship in the years ahead. With personal fitness trackers and smart watches being the mainstream, now health services and tech companies are pioneering remote monitoring and medical assistance to help us all live happier, healthier lives.

Instead of queuing at the clinic for your check-up appointment, the latest gadgets will let you send information to your doctor from the comfort of your home – being connected, devices can send real-time results and analysis about your health, so medical professionals can be informed and monitor, diagnose and assist you, which is especially helpful for communities that are far away from civilisation.

For example, there are a number of solutions available to help with diabetes, like the Dario Smart Meter, which lets users accurately measure and record their condition over time – hooked up to an app on their smart phone, IoT smart meters can get readings immediately, build a history of the results and alert any problem to professionals to provide a lifeline in an emergency.

Related

With recorded information, both the patient and doctor can be better informed to the effects of long-term conditions, empowering both to quickly solve any immediate health problems, should anything happen. Ultimately the hospital will send the ambulance before you need to call – yep, the future could get smarter. Likewise for parents worrying about their new-born, new IoT devices like the Owlet Baby Monitor give mums and dads real-time info on their babies’ breathing, body temperature, activity level and whether they’re asleep.

Of course these are just a couple of examples of the inventions to come as IoT is continuously growing and as these technologies become more commonplace, we will all benefit from being informed about our own and our loved one’s health, combined with immediate professional care being on hand, on a real-time basis.

]]>https://progresif.com/a-medical-revolution/feed/0Toastmastershttps://progresif.com/toastmasters/
https://progresif.com/toastmasters/#respondFri, 14 Oct 2016 06:24:49 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=917Time for toast? No, we’re not talking about the great-smelling-morning-bread kind, but the kind that gives you a better voice. We’re talking about Toastmasters International, the international organisation – now in its 91st year – which was formed by Ralph … Continue reading →

]]>Time for toast? No, we’re not talking about the great-smelling-morning-bread kind, but the kind that gives you a better voice. We’re talking about Toastmasters International, the international organisation – now in its 91st year – which was formed by Ralph C. Smedley for the purpose of teaching people how to speak in public, hold meetings, plan programs and work together in a team.

In October this year, Brunei will host the biggest Toastmasters event. A total of 4 International speakers along with 2 of our local speakers, Rhymin & Partners’ trainer Stuart Lee and Darussalam Enterprise’s CEO Soon Loo will be giving educational workshops. A highlight of the event will be the speaking appearance of Human Resources Development (HRD) specialist and motivational speaker, Dananjaya J. Hettiarachchi. Mr. Hettiarachchi is also the 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking. His attendance is a terrific honor.

Rano Iskandar (AKA Rano Adidas), known as Brunei’s number one social news blogger, was instrumental in bringing Hettiarachchi to the convention. Rano is heavily involved in entrepreneurial and commercial projects here locally, and has been an influential source of information for Bruneians for almost 15 years. In fact, Rano is the Organising Chair of the Brunei Conference 2016. In anticipation of Dananjaya J. Hettiarachchi’s participation at the conference, Rano says, “[He’s] a world champion. A motivational speaker. An individual who can unlock something special in you. His journey has been inspiring to many from the failures to the successes that he never thought he would have dreamt of.”

]]>https://progresif.com/toastmasters/feed/0Mairgixhttps://progresif.com/mairgix/
https://progresif.com/mairgix/#respondFri, 14 Oct 2016 06:24:20 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=923Calisthenics has been around for about 3000 years. Yep, 3000! It dates back to the ancient Greek civilization. But if you’re only hearing about calisthenics recently, that’s okay, because the beauty of the sport is you’re never too old to … Continue reading →

]]>Calisthenics has been around for about 3000 years. Yep, 3000! It dates back to the ancient Greek civilization. But if you’re only hearing about calisthenics recently, that’s okay, because the beauty of the sport is you’re never too old to learn. It’s an activity that welcomes everyone with open—and sometimes flexed—arms.

For many of us, when we hear the word “fitness” these days, it brings to mind going to the gym and working out with weights and other—sometimes unfamiliar or intimidating—equipment. But thanks to the simplicity of street workouts, not only are they inexpensive but they’re exhilarating, inclusive of all ages and skill levels, and continuously evolving.

Calisthenics, which has grown popular in Brunei over the last two years, is a street-style fitness sport, that’s all about controlling your own bodyweight through exercises that increase the body’s strength, fitness and flexibility. Training provides benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning in addition to improving psychomotor skills, the connection of your mental conscious and your actual body movement. Avid practice of calisthenics can improve balance, agility and coordination (yep, think of a ninja).

Speaking of ninjas – meet Mairgix Fitness Centre, a local calisthenics group who, earlier in May, hosted the Brunei Street Workout Championship for the 2nd time. It’s amazing to see these guys doing what they do to promote the sport as an outlet for people who love exercising in a healthy competitive setting, all of which aims to spread awareness that calisthenics is an alternative workout routine for Bruneian youths.

If you’re looking for something new for your kids or you just want to change things up in your regular workout routine, check out Mairgix Fitness at the address below, where you can be sure to find the street style approach combined with exercises fresh, expressive and fun.

]]>https://progresif.com/mairgix/feed/0Raya Progresif Packetshttps://progresif.com/raya-progresif-packets/
https://progresif.com/raya-progresif-packets/#respondFri, 14 Oct 2016 06:23:59 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=934Taking traditional values and expressing it in modern style, this design reflects the merging of two worlds: the old and new of Brunei. The artist with his signature graffiti style shows two values co-existing with each other by combining traditional … Continue reading →

]]>Taking traditional values and expressing it in modern style, this design reflects the merging of two worlds: the old and new of Brunei. The artist with his signature graffiti style shows two values co-existing with each other by combining traditional visuals of the ketupat and Islamic geometric patterns with graffiti stylization.@tag_one_kws_znc
@stain.bn

The beautiful iconic Kampung Ayer and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque set against the new bridge, symbolises the connection of the old and new of Brunei – representing the transformation of the centuries old water village skyline with the 750m bridge, which is Brunei’s first cable-stayed bridge that will connect commuters from Kampung Sungai Kebun to the Capital.@jellybeandreams

The artist for this piece chose to reflect on the significance of light symbolised by the Pelita, as a metaphor for progress for the people of Brunei. Key symbols of Brunei are also represented – Kampung Ayer and the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque to communicate tradition and historical importance.@senipencil

The artist employs a modern take on batik painting digitally merged with traditional air muleh motifs showcasing the cross between the two – with the digital illustration used to show the new, using a digital mode instead of analog, while keeping the essence of tradition with batik and air muleh patterns.@osveous

The artist believes that in nature and life, there is always something new to see if you only look at the familiar with new eyes. This design is inspired by 3 things – traditional air muleh patterns, Islamic patterns and the Brunei national flower, the Simpur. The artwork is the artist’s interpretation of all these values and the visual represents ‘infinity’.@ks.bn

]]>https://progresif.com/raya-progresif-packets/feed/0Pokemon Survival Kithttps://progresif.com/pokemon-survival-kit/
https://progresif.com/pokemon-survival-kit/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 04:24:16 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=945When Pokémon Go launched in Brunei on August 6th, Brunei went crazy – in the best possible way. It brought friends, family, and strangers together (in turn making new friends). Nightlife was alive again with streets packed with people hunting … Continue reading →

]]>When Pokémon Go launched in Brunei on August 6th, Brunei went crazy – in the best possible way. It brought friends, family, and strangers together (in turn making new friends). Nightlife was alive again with streets packed with people hunting for their favourite Pokémon. Even children are behaving and doing their homework just to play the game.

Pokémon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality game, developed by Niantic, for iOS, Android, and Apple Watch devices. A while back Progresif’s own Pokémon hunters decided to make a campaign for the community, where Survival Kits were given out at multiple places for Pokemon Goers to meet, socialize and catch ‘em all.

The first 50 people who arrived at the meeting spot on time got a free Survival Kit with a Chocolate Bomb courtesy of our friends from Bake Culture and Wintermelon drinks for each, from GongCha. Just to add more fun, anyone who was wearing an #iamprogresif t-shirt or using a Progresif line were also given a $10 TopUp to keep them hunting longer.

We also kicked off the Progresif Prepaid Pokemon Pack, where all Prepaid users could buy 1 weeks’ worth of unlimited data, which is 100% dedicated for playing Pokemon for just $5. This keeps you worry-free because it won’t eat up your regular credit and that let’s you do the other things you need separately, like browsing the Internet or WhatsApp-ing your friends to let them know you found a strong Pokémon nest.

]]>https://progresif.com/pokemon-survival-kit/feed/0Write Thishttps://progresif.com/write-this/
https://progresif.com/write-this/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 03:53:43 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=940If you missed the ‘Write This’ Graffiti Competition, we’ll paint you a picture. All you could smell was beautiful paint in the air. The vibe was amazing, creative and cool. All artists were inspired to work really hard through style, … Continue reading →

]]>If you missed the ‘Write This’ Graffiti Competition, we’ll paint you a picture. All you could smell was beautiful paint in the air. The vibe was amazing, creative and cool. All artists were inspired to work really hard through style, creativity, colour, originality, technique and flow. The end result? Something different, something special, and something you don’t get to see every day – pure masterpieces. Everyone was deeply focused because they knew only one could be crowned the spray King.

It was a sunny day at the Skatedium in Berakas, where over 20 local artists and a handful from neighbouring countries showed up to be a part of the competition. Besides the aspiring local talent, international artists from Malaysia—specifically Katun who is recognised in Washington DC, Seoul, Dubai and Indonesia, and world famous Clog ’two from Singapore who’s been on the graffiti scene for 15 years.

While there’s still a common misperception that urban graffiti artists are rebels, these days they’re increasingly being given more credit for being artists of our time. Consider George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Before it was a massive tourist hotspot, artists had a hard time asking for space to showcase their creativity. Today, all the art is what makes Penang one of the must-see places in South East Asia. And thanks to the brilliant ideas of street artists, hidden alleys and vintage buildings in Penang are now filled with vibrant and lively murals.

So how did it all begin in Brunei? Well, Fai Zaini better known as Tag’01 in the graffiti scene; the founder of STAIN, saw the raw and rising talent of the nation and had thought, what better way to showcase this rising cultural movement than to let artists display their skills at a Graffiti Art Competition – and that he did.

Though the event itself has to come to an end, it’s only the beginning for some, like Madnycer from Brunei took home the trophy for first place, along with a Huawei P9 Smartphone with a one-year free plan from Progresif. Congrats to all the winners!

]]>https://progresif.com/write-this/feed/0Young Media Advocacy Workshophttps://progresif.com/young-media-advocacy-workshop/
https://progresif.com/young-media-advocacy-workshop/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 03:05:39 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=915Social media is big and it’s here to stay – forever. The use of traditional media channels like print, TV and radio has evolved in the new era and it is now the age of new media. Now, with the … Continue reading →

]]>Social media is big and it’s here to stay – forever. The use of traditional media channels like print, TV and radio has evolved in the new era and it is now the age of new media. Now, with the help of the Internet, the use of online media is just a click of a button away; news travels fast and reactions even faster – its power of communication is somewhat limitless. But is the information being communicated even newsworthy?

What’s awesome is, the Brunei US Association thought about this and together with a group of media students from The University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD), they been hosting media advocacy workshops, which basically is the strategic use of creating news through mass media and community support to advance change or a public policy initiative. The last event, which ran over the span of four days saw 40 youths getting together and they had to come up with action plans that implemented a media advocacy of any positive cause in the creative, public health, environment, economic development and humanitarian industries.

Progresif, a strong believer in cultivating and nurturing young talents shared some knowledge and tips on how the media world works. This was shared by Devin Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer where he talked about developing ideas of delivering hands-on training for youth, giving them the tools necessary to be able to plan and execute an advocacy of certain cause, or recommend ideas through media.

Through sharing sessions, talks, group discussions, and engagement with different stakeholders, the event had provided the audience with the opportunity to expand their network, deepen engagement with like-minded young leaders and work hand-in-hand to solve real national challenges while empowering the next generation. Upon completing the program, the participants are expected to conduct a media advocacy with the support of Brunei – US Association and YSEALI alumni members.

Other names involved in the workshop were Shinny from thecollectivearts, Delwin Keasberry from Bruneitweet, Shaun Hoon of Inspire Magazine and Amali Roslin of UBD TV.

]]>In honor of His Majesty’s 70th Birthday, Progresif held a Cultural Night performance at the Celebration Stage, Royal Regalia Car Park. The 2-hour packed performance showcased the evolution of music in Brunei from the opening act of the Bunga Simpur dance by AJ Dancers, percussion and drum performances by the Hundred Beats to Method6ix, an acapella group, performing their rendition of the Brunei music evolution, from traditional to modern songs.

There was a multicultural mix of performances such as Chinese Lion Dance, Wushu, Philippines traditional dance of Bakya, Maglalatik amongst the few, and there was also singing and dancing from the Indian and Bangladesh community, Pencak Silat and Gandrung Dance by the Indonesian community.

The cultural night was just another way Progresif supports arts and culture development in Brunei by raising awareness of the depth and breadth of creativity, and supporting individuals who dedicate themselves to their art.

]]>https://progresif.com/his-majestys-70th-birthday-progresif-cultural-night/feed/0Asia Communication Awardshttps://progresif.com/asia-communication-awards/
https://progresif.com/asia-communication-awards/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 02:19:36 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=904It was a quiet night in Singapore. But somewhere inside the Marriott Hotel, you could hear the sound of pounding drums then in a flash the room was filled with people clapping as the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) announced Progresif … Continue reading →

]]>It was a quiet night in Singapore. But somewhere inside the Marriott Hotel, you could hear the sound of pounding drums then in a flash the room was filled with people clapping as the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) announced Progresif as 2016’s winner for “Best Brand Campaign” and “Project of The Year” for rebuilding and stabilising the network.

It’s unbelievable to see how much we’ve achieved since our revival in 2014. If you’ve skimmed through the timeline and milestones on page 6-7, you’ll be able to get a feel of how much progress we’ve made this year. Especially by taking home two prestigious Asia Communication Awards, all the while representing Brunei and being internationally recognised as a progressive telecommunication company.

Because of you, our subscribers and like-minded individuals, we were able to be the first telco company to proudly represent Brunei at the ACA. There were over 100 leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies from across Asia including the leading service providers, carriers, operators, technology manufacturers and solution vendors all competing for awards across sixteen categories.

In the nominated categories, we were shortlisted against 9 contenders and went through three stages of eliminations in a process that began in February this year. The nomination process for Progresif was based on our past 12-month performance and achievements through rebuilding and replacing our legacy network infrastructure and setting ourselves on a path to launch our future 4G network. And at the same time establishing ourselves as a formidable competitive brand, who, in just one year has significantly changed the telecommunications industry in Brunei and ushered in a new era for the brand and marketing disciplines in the sultanate.

Winning the “Project of the Year” award was heartfelt because it meant that all our hard work dealing with the complexity of stabilising the network was internationally recognised. We replaced the entire mobile core network and radio base stations, in addition to upgrading the back haul network, all the while continuing to provide quality service while more than tripling our customer base.

The judging panel, made up of Global ICT industry leaders, considered the launch of the Progresif Brand to be the catalyst for our growth, and registering a wider impact within Brunei by energising the brand, retail environment and offering a visible sign of progress that supports the vision of His Majesty the Sultan of an ICT rich economy and society. The presiding Judges commented, “A fantastic success story…the total turnaround of a dying company to become a major Brunei player.”

The “Best Brand Campaign” award is the best possible recognition of all the hard work and dedication of the entire team of Progresif, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and the overwhelming response from you, our customers, who have voted for Progresif’s way of doing business by becoming part of the progressive movement. Thanks for being Progresif.

]]>https://progresif.com/asia-communication-awards/feed/0Progresif Hero: Mirza Mukrihttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mirza-mukri/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mirza-mukri/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 02:11:18 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=900How did your love for Minecraft and gaming begin? It started in 2008, when I was playing games on the Xbox. It was really fun. The first game I ever played was ‘Halo’, which is an awesome space themed first-person … Continue reading →

It started in 2008, when I was playing games on the Xbox. It was really fun. The first game I ever played was ‘Halo’, which is an awesome space themed first-person shooter game. I eventually looked online for other games that I could play, and I saw this YouTube video by a guy called ‘CaptainSparklez’. It was actually about Minecraft and I started playing it soon after. In-game I’m known as ‘DoomGary’ online.

The game is really simple to understand, and our Minecraft gamer group had a lot of ideas back then – if we wanted to build something, anything would be possible. I don’t keep track anymore but I’m pretty sure we’ve done more than 100 builds together. We’ve built server spawns, castles, houses, and boats. We have also done a lot of organic builds, which are based on living things with lots of curves and details on it, like a dragon. It’s really difficult.

Can you tell us what makes it so appealing? Is it just about ‘building’?

I don’t know, it’s up to the person I guess. There are also mini-games available on there – survival games in the style of ‘The Hunger Games’. 24 players and one has to survive till the end. It works like this, you log into the server and then you get into the ‘lobby’. From there you can select from any of the games listed in it. So for example, I could select a game and then be transported to a podium, and we would have ten minutes in a ‘fight to the death’ kind of thing. In the mini-games there’s a lot of things to explore. You just need the skills.

Do you have friends as well that you play Minecraft with? How did you meet them?

Yeah, I actually came across them [my friends] on the oldest Minecraft server in Brunei called VK Gaming, which stands for Virtuous Kingdom. VK Gaming is actually one of the oldest servers in Brunei and now it is totally offline. It was owned by this Kuala Belait guy called ‘Zero Sanzo’, he’s a really cool guy. I’ve never met him but I could tell by the way he talks and stuff. So I met them all there a year after I started playing the game, and we were on it everyday. It’s all about being cooperative and communication with the other gamers in the group, when we’re playing. When we met new people we would ask them to join us, and that’s how our group grew. Actually we don’t really meet that much, we’ve only met once and talked on Teamspeak which is like Skype; we discuss things there.

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Tell us more about this website you own? Has the infrastructure changed much for the local gaming industry and community, with the introduction of Fibre Optics and 4G?

The website is actually for my server; our Minecraft group owns a public server and everyone can play on it so you can go to www.planetbn.com.bn. We started the project (to own the server) in 2013; me and the other players who are in charge of the server pay for it out of our own pocket money. I was into Science back then in school so I thought why not call it Planet BN because it’s a planet, but it’s in the cloud so no one can see it. Gaming back then was still same as it is today, for me, and yes I’m excited that 4G and optic fiber are available now, I myself have an optic fiber connection.

You own a server? That’s impressive!

It’s actually kind of a complicated thing; we had to close it down and start it up again in July so in that month we saved 2000 gamers who use it. We have people from all over the world, but mainly from Brunei. I’m actually building the codes for the different modes, and I’m doing that in Java language, which is a pain! The thing is, not all gamers or players can pay the amount of money for the Internet connection itself, and we have to pay for our own gear. It is pretty pricey.

Since you like building objects in the game, does that mean you’re also interested in becoming an architect?

I’m not actually looking to become an architect; I want to be a game developer, a programmer. Gaming changed my life, into wanting to be a developer. I am into games because I wanted to know how it works and stuff. Since then, I learnt a lot of computer languages by myself such as Java, Php, C, and so on. We’re currently building a ‘village’, maybe we’ll build ten of them. It’s for the upcoming game modes, and we’ll probably put a level on there like if you’re up to Level 3 then you can go there. The capabilities in Minecraft are pretty limited so you really have to use your creativity.

So what do you hope to see for the future of Minecraft and gaming in Brunei?

Yeah, I would like to meet more of the players here in Brunei, and for new players to join. I’d also like to see Brunei hosting a Virtual Private Server (VPS), which is actually a back-end system for the server. I only know of 20 players in Brunei, so whenever we see a local player on the server we always ask them to join us to talk and discuss things. I’d definitely be interested in a Minecraft Meetup here, so that we could meet all the gamers in Brunei and play in the server together and build amazing things. Maybe even build a version of ‘Brunei’! That would be awesome. We’ve actually talked about the event, but it’s just that we have no idea how to start. There’s a meetup in Slovenia though, and they hold a Minecraft build competition where the person with the best build wins. But I’ve never heard of any Minecraft events in Asia.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-mirza-mukri/feed/0Minecraft school of coolhttps://progresif.com/minecraft-school-of-cool/
https://progresif.com/minecraft-school-of-cool/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 01:38:30 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=896Remember when Minecraft came out seven years ago? If you don’t, that’s kinda normal. It’s only when younger kids discovered the game in the past two three years that it started to go mainstream. Generally games do well with certain … Continue reading →

]]>Remember when Minecraft came out seven years ago? If you don’t, that’s kinda normal. It’s only when younger kids discovered the game in the past two three years that it started to go mainstream. Generally games do well with certain groups of people, right? But as many parents with children six-years-and-above realise, Minecraft can crawl under the skin of pretty much anybody.

Who doesn’t enjoy exploring the unknown? Going where no other tiny pixelated human has ever been before? And discovering there is so much you can do. You move along in the first person (or third, if the creepers are getting too creepy) through these blocks and it’s not at all odd that a ball has edges not curves. You learn stuff, like turning cubes into a pickaxe, which you use to dig for diamonds that you keep in the safe in one of your mansions, the one that has a billion (you get the idea) libraries.

Since young people love it so much, Minecraft will only become more popular and stick around for longer than any other hit games ever will (it might even be the new Tetris). Much like Lego, you get better at problem-solving and become more creative. But then, Minecraft throws in a fascinating possibility – whether in Creative mode (where players build and don’t die) or Survival mode (where you might virtually perish, along with all you’ve built and acquired so far), you’re mastering not one but two realms – the world you virtually create, and the digital world of the future.

It’s like this – when you get into Minecraft, there’s no instruction manual. Nada. Zip. Ziltch. You learn by doing from scratch and watching how other people do it. You get under the hood and discover everything is elementary and everything can be built, broken and pieced back together using these elements. You don’t just conjure houses, monuments or cities. You’re constructing entire worlds. And you invite others into these environments you create, which means making friends and that somewhere down the road you’ll need bigger or better servers. Or make your own.

More technically inclined players can modify the game’s codes, create new types of blocks, introduce new sorts of creatures, and then post these modifications (mods) online for others to discover. Maybe you’ll get curious. So much so that you could become really interested in programming. Just look at the kids. They want to make better things (invent) and make things better (design and engineer). Coding is one of the ways they or you, can do it.

You can also make art, and create your own games (you can checkout tutorials on Youtube tutorials). Heck, some players are so good they’ve turned Minecrafting into their day jobs. Yup, that’s google-able. There are famous Minecrafters who use their popularity to team up with charities and raise funds for different causes. Virtual and real worlds are meshing, and games like Minecraft are leading the way.

Minecraft is what you’d call a sandbox game, which means the potential of what can happen and what you can create are endless. It’s climbing that mountain because it’s there. Building worlds because you just can.

]]>https://progresif.com/minecraft-school-of-cool/feed/0Progresif Hero: Rayon Po Abdullahhttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-rayon-po-abdullah/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-rayon-po-abdullah/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 00:47:39 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=892How did you get into the gaming scene, Rayyan? I actually started playing quite a while ago. It has been about 16 years. I first started gaming as a hobby. I’d usually go to all these cybercafes with a group … Continue reading →

I actually started playing quite a while ago. It has been about 16 years. I first started gaming as a hobby. I’d usually go to all these cybercafes with a group of friends after school and we were playing mostly PC-based games. Back in around 1999-2000, there were actually already a lot of people on the scene so if you wanted to play you’d have to book the PC’s early – sometimes, a day or two in advance. I’ve actually always been in the top two, top three in the country so I’m actually quite exposed to international tournaments and world-class players. So I think I’ve got a little bit of a competitive edge there. I remember speaking to one of my friends from Indonesia – his advice was: “do something crazy *laughs* just think outside the box, think of something.” It’s been one and a half years for Exidium and so far, so good. I’m in the middle of opening another branch right now, which a lot of my regular customers asked me to do because the current one is usually full.

I’d imagine that in 2000 you had slow Internet connection! Were you playing peer-to-peer games within the cafes or was it online against other people?

Yeah, that’s right. In 2000 it was only LAN connection so you’d usually play with your friends. For Brunei, we didn’t have the level of data connection yet to take part in all these online tournaments and games, so we just ended up playing within our community. So what we did, the furthest we got, was sponsorship. There used to be a lot of tournaments in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for example, so the best gamers or the top three teams in the country would go there to represent Brunei and you know – fight for a spot there. I was playing Counterstrike at the time, it’s a pretty big game (and still is), and later on I moved on to Dota but that wasn’t for long, after that, League of Legends.

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Okay, was that a generational thing or because people could afford to have four PC’s at home along with an Internet connection?

Uhm…I wouldn’t say that. I think it would be the pricing actually in some cafes, cause at the time it was actually quite pricey to play as well. There was this period where customers would have to pay $2 an hour, which is quite expensive. So that sort of died down. And there were no tournaments locally or anywhere in Borneo – that’s also one of the factors which contributed to the decline of the ‘scene’ then. There’s definitely been a bit of a resurgence due to the HSBB, and ever since that was up and running for the country, local gamers are joining tournaments, like the European qualifiers or they would have a tournament set by region like South-east Asia or America. All these players will compete in their region and then qualify to meet in the finals that would typically be held in countries like China or Europe.

How did you progress from being a player and a gamer yourself, to opening and running a cybercafé?

Right, that one was kind of accidental I guess? It was funny. I graduated in 2010, my major was in accounting and finance and I thought why do I have to study so hard just to work for other people right? Luckily, I got support from my mum, I spoke to her about this idea and she actually supported me surprisingly. She said that I’d been gaming for over a decade so why not use that passion to make something that I could earn money from. Initially when I started off, I didn’t know what to do so I had to ask around, do my own research and ask my friends from Singapore and Malaysia what was the first thing I had to do to set up a cybercafé. It’s not as simple as it sounds *laughs*. It’s not just buying computers and plugging them in. One thing for me was looking at my competitors – what I could improve on – for me it was space. Most places would only give you enough for the keyboard and half of a mouse pad. So I came up with Exidium and a lot of gamers were happy! I accommodate to what the players want.

Where do you see the gaming industry heading now? Is competitive gaming or professional gaming still struggling to be recognized as a legitimate career or source of income?

I think the gaming industry in Brunei has the potential to grow and improve further, given the chance and support from the relevant authorities. There are also game development courses being offered by the government for students who are interested in the field and want to make a living out of it. The country has started to open up, acknowledge and accept competitive gaming or professional gaming. We definitely hope to see more tournaments and events in the future. I actually had a meeting with the gaming body – there were eight cybercafés, and they were suggesting that we all hold one big tournament. So I think that’s a great start – a lot of players are looking forward to that and we hope to have Malaysian or Singaporean teams fly into Brunei. Southeast Asia actually has the most active players and I think it would be a good opportunity for business and the community; there are more new faces who are actually some of the best players in the country right now. There are also quite a number of girl gamers and when they come here they’re in a big group. It’s fun seeing them play games. I hope to see more gamers and more people using their own passion to start something they would enjoy doing.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-rayon-po-abdullah/feed/0E-Sports on Beast Modehttps://progresif.com/e-sports-on-beast-mode/
https://progresif.com/e-sports-on-beast-mode/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 00:38:58 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=890The people who pioneered gaming were smart. Super smart. And the people who first put games online were something else. Thanks to them, we’ve all been gamers at some point in our lives, to one extent or other. Chess, Tetris, … Continue reading →

]]>The people who pioneered gaming were smart. Super smart. And the people who first put games online were something else. Thanks to them, we’ve all been gamers at some point in our lives, to one extent or other. Chess, Tetris, Super Mario, you name it. Today, especially if you have a smartphone. Say you only play when you’re waiting in line for something. That makes you a casual gamer. You’re an avid gamer if you make time to play. When you’re dedicated to one or two games, have clans that practice together, complete with your own regime and schedule, that’s what you call hard core.

And then there are people who go even further. Enter: the Spartans of the gaming world – or at least, cyber athletes who compete professionally in electronic sports or e-Sports. Never heard of e-Sports? That’s probably because not much of it happens in Brunei. At least not on a large scale – yet. Around the world, there are hundreds and millions of e-Sports enthusiasts, and counting.

E-sports is a form of video game competitions. What you get is multiple players gathered either online or, more typically, in one big space battling it out over a local area network (LAN). Maybe you’ve come across a crowd of mostly young males glued to large monitors, playing the same game at the local cybercafe? Well, that could have been a video game tournament (now you know). And don’t expect to see donut-encrusted-hermit-type males on the top of the leader board, either. Professional gamers have the mindset, skills and attitude of an athlete. It takes some serious skills, planning, and timing to be that good. Plus, even rules of good sportsmanship apply.

It’s not just people taking e-Sports seriously. Some countries actually do have their own national e-Sport boards and teams. At major global competitions like The International, The Extreme Masters and League of Legends World Championships, tons of spectators come to watch. And if you can’t go to the competitions in America, Europe or Asia, you can simply stream online in real time. These competitions have been going on for years and more and more people are getting into them. At that level, winning means getting the kind of prize money that’s got you laughing all the way to the bank. For some cyber athletes, this is actual work, with actual pay (they are professionals, after all).

In Brunei, the winners receive their bounty in the shape of a giant mock cheque – just a smaller one. But what lacks in size, is made up through sponsorship, where they can definitely develop their competitive talent. It takes skills and the money to go overseas and get the exposure at competitions – yup, guts, sweat and tears.

That being said, there are other opportunities like game development or programming. If you’re more of an entrepreneur, how about event management or running a cybercafe? Some hard core gamers can even train or coach others, and become referees or commentators at competitions. The list goes on.

Since there isn’t much going on so far in the e-Sports department at our home turf, it’s hard to tell what we might be missing out on. Hang around. Like everything else, e-Sports and its following are growing fast. But with more of us getting into it, it won’t be long for a home grown pro-gamer or team to come out of the woodwork. Watch this space because there’s bound to be a couple of rough diamond gamers who are a click away from switching on Beast mode.

]]>https://progresif.com/e-sports-on-beast-mode/feed/0Progresif Hero: Ikmalinahttps://progresif.com/progresif-hero-ikmalina/
https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-ikmalina/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 00:33:54 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=885How did you start off being interested in gaming and then go on to develop a game studio? One of my passions is art & design. In fact, initially I wanted to work in architecture, so you could say I … Continue reading →

]]>How did you start off being interested in gaming and then go on to develop a game studio?

One of my passions is art & design. In fact, initially I wanted to work in architecture, so you could say I liked the idea of building something unique. After studying in 6th Form, I went on to study media at university, and that’s when I discovered programming. At the time, I was also really into gaming – going to cybercafes most nights with my crew and playing online games – one of the very few girls to do so. One night I had this kind of eureka moment when waiting for the game to load. I thought, “I could actually build this kind of thing!” I love to do design, I like 3D modelling, and I know programming, so why couldn’t I? For our final school assignment my group had to develop something, so after a lot of discussion with my project team, we decided that a game would be the best submission. And that’s how it all got started.

So exactly how did you develop your final year project into your company’s first product?

We were very fortunate that, at that time, the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) partnered with the University of Technology Brunei (UTB) to help develop any final year group project and help market it as a product. It was a real eye-opener to learn business and planning aspects from them. The competition is basically called “IGNITE Business Plan Award Competition” hosted by BEBD and iCentre in 2012/2013. Then later we won BICTA Awards hosted by AITI and later awarded as the first batch to receive Start-Up Brunei Grant from BEBD. We did product testing with some schools and realised that gaming can also be educational. That’s basically what led us to “edutainment” (educational entertainment) as our main focus for the Brunei market. And with an E-learning focus, we’re also about bringing something back to our country, rather than just making another pure entertainment game – plus we’re excited about the opportunity to showcase something about Brunei to the outside world.

To be progressive, you need to be productive.
Be pro-active, find your own resources and look for any opportunities

What would you say are your main challenges today, especially considering your unique position as a pioneer in Brunei?

It’s pretty challenging to be the first game company in Brunei because there’s no benchmark to follow, even more so because it’s rare to see a woman running one. But the main issue that our home market is really pretty small. Margins are really low on mobile apps so you need volume to make money, so you really need to look outside of the country to a larger audience for more opportunity. In the short term though, we are focused on what could be successful here in Brunei. E-Learning was our focus initially, so we continue to provide applications for the government. We have developed such games for the Ministry of Health, for example, teaching the dangers of smoking and how to eat healthily. Our latest game is all about drug awareness, where we combine engaging gameplay with social awareness messaging. We still hope to develop the business internationally too. In 2013 and 2014, we actually had an opportunity to showcase ourselves abroad at the Tokyo Game Show.

How was the experience getting your first international exposure for a Brunei gaming company?

The Tokyo Game Festival is one of the biggest in the world! As the only company to represent Brunei in the ASEAN Pavilion, it was pretty overwhelming. But it was also an amazing experience to meet with other developers and game studios to share ideas and talk about the industry and it’s challenges. We even met with the large Japanese publisher CapCom, famous in the industry for over 25 years for distributing many successful games like Street Fighter, Resident Evil and Monster Hunter. They have offered to publish our products abroad.

So what does the future hold on the development side for ItsyBytes?

We continue to focus on developing compelling storylines and accessible and fun gameplay, because no matter the technology, this is always the most important aspect. If you engage and inspire people, you can build a whole universe around a game – just think about something like Angry Birds and its spin-off merchandise. Obviously VR (Virtual Reality) is the future of gaming, so we have really been looking into this opportunity to see how we can develop strong storylines and captivating experiences within a VR game. Ultimately, as a pioneer we would love to be successful enough that we can then afford to mentor other start-ups in the industry in Brunei and help develop a whole ecosystem of future games development.

]]>https://progresif.com/progresif-hero-ikmalina/feed/0ITSY BYTEShttps://progresif.com/itsy-bytes/
https://progresif.com/itsy-bytes/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 00:28:39 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=881You’re a gamer. He’s a gamer. She’s a gamer. Everyone’s a gamer. Think about it. There had to be at least one time in your life where you played a video game – either a commercial or an educational one. … Continue reading →

]]>You’re a gamer. He’s a gamer. She’s a gamer. Everyone’s a gamer. Think about it. There had to be at least one time in your life where you played a video game – either a commercial or an educational one. Whichever the case, if you’re a big fan of the scene, you’ll be happy to know that ItsyBytes is Brunei’s first independent games development studio, producing apps mainly for the mobile market with a focus on education and entertainment. Founded in 2013 by Ikmalina Yunos, the company already has a number of 2D and 3D titles published, and is always looking forward to the latest technology trends, including the development of virtual and augmented reality games.

Their first commercial product was the Black Gold series, a multi-platform game that taps into Brunei’s main economic industry – yep, oil and gas. The game is a story about the discovery of oil in the country, back in 1926. Players take on the role of an original prospector who navigates his way while avoiding obstacles and challenges in the form of puzzles, which they must successfully solve to keep the oil flowing. It won first place at the Ignite Business Plan Awards 2012/2013 college and university category in January 2013, as well as second place at the 2013 Brunei ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Awards.

Other products in ItsyBytes’ catalogue include virtual reality game Rehab Maze, where you get into the role of a reformed substance abuser trying to get their life back on track and players must try and escape the 3D maze. They also produced iCity, where players complete puzzles to protect various locations around a city – it provides an entertaining way to teach people about cyber security, backing up data and online security threats.

Their mission is to create games that are fun to play but also deliver an educational message with content that increases social awareness. All to steadily move forward into the future of reality gaming.

]]>https://progresif.com/itsy-bytes/feed/0A Game for Every Mindhttps://progresif.com/a-game-for-every-mind/
https://progresif.com/a-game-for-every-mind/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 00:25:05 +0000http://progresifmain.gbcdev.net/?p=879Let’s face it – we play video games because it’s fun! But it also helps us think better too. The ability to ‘move’ or ‘do’ is mentally engaging in both fun and educational aspects because it creates possibilities, which are … Continue reading →

]]>Let’s face it – we play video games because it’s fun! But it also helps us think better too. The ability to ‘move’ or ‘do’ is mentally engaging in both fun and educational aspects because it creates possibilities, which are sometimes far fetched in the real world and at times really super close (think Virtual Reality).

In games, you can change outcomes. You do one thing, something happens, either way, you get to go again – redo, relive, restart. Maybe you wanna go further in the level or maybe just win with a better score. Five stars instead of two and a half. So this time you do something differently. Play, learn, and repeat (kind of like real life – we learn and we grow).

When you’re out in a crowd, it’s safe to say that one out of five people sitting down with a smartphone is connected to the Internet, playing some sort of game or using some sort of app. With today’s computers, phones and gadgets, online games are getting pretty slick. That’s why the number of gamers around the world is on the rise. The thing about online games, especially the good ones, is that they let you have a totally immersive experience – an aspect of online gaming that keeps getting better. Then, you get rewards, which the best games out there give you – a community.

In Brunei, the number of gamers is quietly thriving. It’s still a mixed bag of sub-cultures, distinguished by the time you play, who you know, whether you’re on PC, Mac, tablet, phone or console, and then the game of choice. You’ll find most gamers playing at home, or with a few close friends. There are groups on social media where players find local-based or far-flung kindred souls and create virtual clans. They sync their schedules to get on the same mission at the same time. And these bonds can become super tight. Die for each other in a battle? No problem. Recognise one another on the streets? Maybe not yet, unless players decide to take online offline and take it to another level – face to face.

If you’re not a gamer, the amount of time spent online for games may be puzzling. But games have a lot to offer. Like in virtual worlds, where you can style your character or create and run a city for example. Now that you’re the mayor, you may suddenly become curious about how it really works in the real world. In multi-player online role playing games (MMORPGs) you play with the added bonus of writing the storyline with others you meet online.

And while you’re busy having fun, all the technology that’s being used in online gaming is transforming the world. Virtual Reality (VR) and the sort of Augmented Reality (AR) you experience when you play Pokemon Go, for example, are used in real life for education, healthcare and business.